Q & A with candidate Tracy Mitrano

Tompkins Weekly Staff

 

The upcoming June 26 Democratic primary for New York’s 23rd congressional district is a crowded one. Tompkins Weekly has sent this Q and A to all of the primary candidates and will be printing them in the order received.

 

Tompkins Weekly: What makes you qualified to be the Congressional Representative for NY 23?

Tracy Mitrano: I am running to put people first. My family, social and internet policy experience at the federal, state and local level makes me uniquely prepared to get to work in Washington, D.C. on Day One. I served 10 Years on the Ithaca Town Planning Board, the Tompkins County Legislature’s Broadband Committee, the Tompkins County Library Board of Trustees, the New York State Board of Education Task Force on Distance Education, the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Arts Education, and the EDUCAUSE Board.

As a cybersecurity specialist, I’ll promote a foreign policy that will reestablish America’s standing in the world, protecting it from cyber attacks from state and non-state actors who wish to undermine American interests domestically and abroad. When elected to Congress, I’ll be the only cyber security expert in Congress.

TW: Why are you running for Representative of NY 23?

TM: People. I’m running for the grandmother worrying about her Social Security and Medicare – and her grandson’s healthcare and crippling opioid addiction. I’m running for two teachers in our district who after celebrating 20 years of marriage now watch their 18-year-old son apply to colleges they can barely afford. I’m running for a father who drives his 8-year-old daughter to their town’s library after it’s closed – just to pick up its wi-fi signal to finish her science homework due the next day.

I’m running to fight for working families, seniors, veterans, and the future of our children and grandchildren because Tom Reed has failed to represent their interests. He has sold us out and tries to divide us through sensationalized labels that don’t reflect who we are. He continues to put his wealthy donors and special interests first and then neglect the real needs of the people of this district.

TW: What do you offer to the residents of Tompkins County that the other candidates running in the primary do not?

TM: I connect with people deeply. I’ve spent my life in Western and Southern Tier New York. I have deep roots throughout NY-23. I can speak directly to the issues that challenge many people through the district. My older brother is developmentally disabled, blind and currently lives in an institutional setting. As a child, my family nearly went bankrupt paying medical bills when my mother became critically ill. Growing up, I worked in my father’s restaurant and I saw firsthand how difficult it can be to sustain a small business. As Congresswoman, I’ll empathize with NY-23 families who have endured similar struggles. I’ll fight to put their needs first.

I will bring economic opportunity back to NY-23, and I have the team to do it. I have a massive 300+ volunteer apparatus that is growing every day. I also have a highly professional campaign team with experience against entrenched incumbents in traditionally red areas. We are ready to go toe-to-toe against Tom Reed in November. I have a message that will mobilize not only Democratic, but also unaffiliated voters, independent and disenchanted Republicans after the Primary. Since my passion and background play very well with key demographics that have been crucial to recent democratic wins across the country, my team is well-poised to strike at Reed’s vulnerabilities. He should be very afraid.

 

TW: What is your plan to stimulate job growth in the NY 23?

TM: We need a people-first plan to bring economic opportunity back to all of NY-23’s 11 counties. My plan to attract capital, better paying jobs and more tourism to NY-23 starts with:
• Healthy people – creating affordable, accessible healthcare for everyone, including our veterans and seniors who depend on Social Security and Medicare;
• Educated people – fighting for Universal Pre-K and affordable education with reduced college debt; certification programs to update skill sets in information technology and data processing
• Technologically-prepared people – expanding technological infrastructure including high-speed internet and cell phone coverage
• Clean water, air, and land – protecting the environment for the future of our children and grandchildren
• Unified people – healing the political and geographical divide that separate neighbors, families, and friends. Find ways to bridge our differences.
Our efforts will make NY-23 and its rural communities, towns and cities a great place to live, work and raise a family.

TW: Where do you stand on Safe Injection Facilities?
TM: I support Safe Injection Facilities as a medically responsible and safe way to reduce the transmission of infectious disease that can occur through intravenous drug use. However, these facilities are only one piece of the puzzle in addressing the opioid crisis. We must also provide appropriate federal support including rehabilitative and restorative services such as recovery programs, affordable healthcare, mental health care and family counseling, to be funded by Big Pharma.

 

TW: The heroin and opioid crisis has had a major impact in this region. How do you plan on addressing the crisis?

TM: Heroin and Opioid drug addiction is ravaging communities across NY-23 and our nation. As Congresswoman, I will support thoughtful legislation that will expand access to prevention, treatment, and recovery. I will also support legislation that will ensure that insurance coverage for addiction recovery is available on par with other health conditions. I will hold hearings on how Big Pharma precipitated this crisis and how the people can hold them responsible for rehabilitation costs.

TW: What do you want the residents of Tompkins County to know about you?

TM: My team is ready to take on Tom Reed and have built great momentum. We’ve received endorsements from the Working Families Party (WFP) and the Women’s Equality Party, guaranteeing our team’s place on the general election ballot in November 2018. We’ve been endorsed by a cross section of local elected across NY-23’s 11 counties including Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, Watkins Glen Mayor Sam Schimizzi, Town of Dryden Deputy Supervisor and Former NY-22 District Office Representative Dan Lamb, Tioga County Democratic Committee Chair Diane Lechner, and Jamestown City Councilwoman Vanessa Weinert. My team has won all four 2018 NY-23 Democratic straw polls by sizable margins. We collected over 5300 petition signatures, four times what was required to get on the ballot. This represents 50% of the number of individuals who voted in the 2012 NY-23 Democratic Congressional Primary.

The first member of my family to go to college, I’ve graduated with a B.A. from the University of Rochester, received a M.A. and Ph.D in American History from Binghamton University, and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. I’m a registered Democrat and Yates County voter. I’m the proud mother of two adult sons.
I’m ready to put people first again.