Feb 25

Feb 25 NY-22 Minute: Brindisi launches 2020 reelection campaign By Luke Perry

Rep. Anthony Brindisi formally launched his reelection campaign yesterday, holding events in Binghamton and Utica. He adopted an optimistic tone that pointed to better days ahead and bringing people together, stating that NY-22 is sick of negative campaigning and partisan gridlock.

Brindisi will run on his legislative record and being an accessible representative concerned about local issues. He has criticized Spectrum’s treatment of customers throughout the district, a focus of his 2018 campaign, recently requesting that New York State investigate service outings.

Brindisi also devoted time during his current stint home to advocate for a veterans cemetery in Oneida County. Nearly 50,000 veterans live in NY-22, while the Department of Veterans Affairs has identified Central New York as one of the greatest underserved areas.

Claudia Tenney, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, was recently endorsed by President Trump and several Republican county committees throughout the district, including Oneida County.

Tenney is trying to nationalize the race by focusing on Brindisi’s vote in favor of impeaching President Trump and seeking to connect him to Bernie Sanders. The latter is part of a larger strategy to diminish the perception that Brindisi is a moderate.

Tenney similarly sought to tie Brindisi to Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the 2018 campaign. Brindisi would not support Pelosi for speaker during the campaign, and delivered on that promise after defeating Tenney.

Brindisi stated that his “preference would be to see a more moderate candidate at the top of the ticket” in 2020, “someone who reflects more of the districts that delivered the majority in 2018.” Bridinsi said he does not think Sanders represents that.

Upon taking office in 2019, I wrote that polarizing votes, particularly regarding House oversight of President Trump, would be a major challenge facing Brindisi.

Brindisi’s opposition, then support, for the impeachment inquiry, followed by his impeachment vote, presents a problem, particularly in retaining crossover support from Republicans, 1 in 4 of whom supported him in 2018.

At the same time, Tenney will likely have to move beyond riding the president’s coattails to regain the seat.

Brindisi now has incumbency advantage, while Tenney never prioritized developing her own Congressional identity and messaging unique and apart from the president.

Though Tenney hears conservative Republicans praising Trump on the campaign trail, re-calibrating her focus and messaging to emphasize prominent local priorities, which are less partisan, would increase her chances against Brindisi.

Luke Perry (@PolSciLukePerry) is Professor of Government at Utica College

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