Shauna O’Toole shares campaign goals

Editor’s note: Tompkins Weekly reached out to Pamela Helming’s campaign to participate in this Q&A but received no reply at the time of this publication.

Shauna O’Toole (Democrat)

TW: Why are you running for the 54th State Senate District?

SOT: The simple answer is that I want to serve my community. I want to be a voice for the working class in the state Legislature. I want to be a voice for women in the state Legislature. I want to be a voice for the LGBQ+ and especially the transgender community in the state Legislature. I want to be a voice for science within the state Legislature.

TW: How would you distinguish yourself from your opponent?

SOT: I am working class, just like most of us in the 54th — indeed, like most of us in rural NYS. I spent 30 years in the physical sciences and want to use that background to help make decisions regarding this area. We need to look beyond developing the land and ensure our environment is clean and our waters are pure. We need to solve these problems from a scientific point of view.

TW: What would you describe as your strengths and weaknesses as a public servant?

SOT: My strengths and weaknesses are basically the same — I am not a professional politician. I am not looking at this campaign as a step towards a better position. I am going to Albany to do a job — representing the 54th to the best of my abilities.

Once I have completed the job, I will step aside for someone else to take the seat. If you would like an analogy, think of Cincinnatus. He left the Roman Senate to work his farm. When the Republic was in danger, Rome called him back to duty. Once that was complete, he left the Senate and returned to his farm.

TW: If elected, what are your top three priorities as a state senator?

SOT: All three are of equal priorities to me.

We need to protect the lands and waters of the 54th as well as all of rural NYS.

We need to help our small- and medium-sized businesses bounce back from this pandemic. This also includes our farmers. Let’s help small businesses open and stay open.

We need to help our students who want a career in the trades do so and be successful. This means tailoring education to the needs of these future tradesmen and tradeswomen.

All of this will help bring back the shrinking middle class.

TW: What would you like potential voters to know about you?

SOT: After 19 years working in industry as a technician/product development chemist/photoengineer, I was an earth science teacher for 11 years. I have retired from teaching and work with food for a living. I remarried just last year. My wife and I are looking forward to celebrating our first anniversary on Pearl Harbor Day.

My son’s fiance was my maid of honor. I write, cook, and have been an activist and public speaker for the transgender community. I have done things ranging from digging holes in cemeteries for a living to having a laboratory a thousand feet underground to helping with a project that flew aboard shuttle Atlantis.

As an earth science teacher, I would talk about different careers in the sciences, and then show them photos of me doing different things. I was often asked, “Ms. O’Toole, is there anything you haven’t done?” When you elect me to office, I will be bringing along a wealth of experiences.

TW: How do you plan to address the needs of the different cultures, socioeconomic statuses, etc. that are in this district?

SOT: I am going to take a page from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. I want my immediate staff to be multicultural because that will bring a diversity of views based on race and culture. I want to talk with various minority groups on a regular basis so that I can hear what the issues and concerns are.

This means that I will do something different: I will ask what you need instead of presenting a package and saying “this is what I have done for you.” When you ask and listen to the needs, that means that the people have a greater buy-in with the solution.

TW: How are you best suited to address the economic and social impacts of COVID-19?

SOT: COVID-19 cannot be a political issue. It is a human issue that affects all of us. We have got to put aside political differences and ideologies that interfere with every aspect of our recovery.

While no longer active in scientific endeavors, I still consider myself a scientist. As such, I will use the data to help us recover from this pandemic and prepare for the next one. Wishful thinking is not going to help us recover. Show me the data, and let’s discuss the implications.