Read Before You Vote: Your 2026 Watertown Ballot, Explained

Energy & utility bills

• specific"On Day One as Governor, I am going to strip Hochul's hidden state fees off your statement... and cut New York utility bills exactly in half." source
• specific"As Governor, I will bring fracking back to New York" by ending the ban on hydraulic fracturing and extracting Marcellus Shale gas. source
• specificDirect NYSERDA to return the 'Climate Investment Account' surplus (about $2.4B, which he says could reach $3B) to ratepayers as utility bill credits. source
• goal"Immediately review and renegotiate energy contracts" (including the offshore wind contracts), "unleash affordable natural gas," and "eliminate costly mandates." source
• specific"Pause mandates to electrify heating and transportation until the state secures sufficient electricity." He would also end the all-electric new-building requirement ("bring back natural gas"). source
• specific"Restore a meaningful role for local governments in approving or rejecting large-scale solar and battery projects." This would change the ORES siting process, which can override local zoning. source
• specific"Put an immediate halt to all battery storage facilities across New York State until safety is guaranteed." source
• specificReopen the closed Indian Point nuclear plant, paired with lifting the fracking ban, as ways to halve bills (News10 debate recap, paraphrase). In an August interview he said the state should seek community and local-government consensus, noted Rep. Lawler's feasibility study, and suggested small modular reactors. source

Taxes & cost of living

• specific"Eliminate state personal income tax on the first $50,000 of income for single filers and the first $100,000 for joint filers." He calls it "the largest middle-class tax cut in New York State history." On Oct 1 he said earners above $100,000 would also pay no tax on their first $100,000. source
• specificAn across-the-board 10% income tax cut on income under $250,000, as described in news coverage (Rochester Beacon, Oct 23). The 10% figure was not found on the campaign site; ABC7 (Oct 1) cites savings of about $7,000 a year for earners up to $250,000. source
• specific"Reduce property taxes by 10%." No mechanism was stated. source
• specificEliminate state and local taxes on tips. source
• specificRepeal what he calls Hochul's $1.68 billion R&D 'Innovation Tax' (decoupling from federal immediate expensing of R&D). source
• specificBlock any new local income tax, such as the proposed 16.75% Ulster County tax: "dead on arrival when I'm Governor." source

Health care

• specificFor Medicaid's CDPAP home-care program: "a full forensic audit," "immediate tightening of eligibility and verification requirements," criminal referrals, and legislation to end middleman abuse. In the debate he said about 8M people get Medicaid while about 5M are eligible. He denied that he would cut Medicaid in half. source

Jobs & economy

• specificLift the state's data center moratorium: "With AI, it's the future." source
• specificA statewide 'Buy New York Dairy' policy requiring state-funded schools and institutions to buy New York-produced milk whenever available. source

Public safety

• specific"Repeal cashless bail"; he also blames Raise the Age and the HALT Act (debate, paraphrase). source

Schools, child care & workforce

• goalSupports universal child care and pre-K "across New York State" rather than an NYC-only program. No cost or mechanism was stated. source
• specificOpt New York into the new federal K-12 scholarship tax-credit program (up to $1,700 per individual credit). source

Immigration

• specificRestore local police cooperation agreements with ICE, ending what he calls the 'sanctuary state'. source
• specificSupport a guest-worker permit for long-term immigrants without criminal records (debate). source

Enacted or delivered

• Nassau FY2026 budget: no property tax increase for the fourth consecutive year; budgeted property tax held at $755M (2025-12) source
• 287(g) agreement with ICE: 10 NCPD detectives cross-designated as ICE agents (started Feb 2025). After the 2026 state ban he said he would comply, and he joined a lawsuit challenging the law. (2025-02) source
• Ban on transgender women and girls in women's sports at county facilities (2024-2025) source

Claimed, not verified

• 'I canceled over $150 million in tax hikes planned by the previous administration when I first took office' (2022) source
• Hiring 600+ police and correction officers ('Since taking office, I have authorized the hiring of over 600 new police and correctional officers') (2022-2025) source
• 'Nassau was named the safest County in America'; 'major crimes... down by over 13% in 2025' (2025) source
• 'Seven rating upgrades from respected and independent credit rating agencies' (2022-2025) source

• His first public North Country appearance was in Altona, Clinton County, on Apr 25, 2026, where he criticized electric vehicle mandates and backed ending sanctuary status. No Jefferson County or Fort Drum visit was found in what I searched. source
• Proposed a 'Buy New York Dairy' rule requiring state-funded schools and institutions to buy New York-produced milk. source
• Proposes restoring local government approval over large solar and battery projects, which the state's ORES siting office can now override. He says New York lost 500 farms and 100,000 acres in 2024-2025 (campaign figure, not verified). source

• The campaign site has no single issues or platform page. Proposals come from campaign press-release PDFs (many undated; dates approximated from upload metadata) and news.
• The 10% cut on income under $250,000 appears only in news coverage, not in a campaign document I found.
• The Indian Point reopening position rests on a News10 debate-recap paraphrase plus an August interview where he described a consensus or feasibility-study approach. No campaign document on it was found.
• No independent cost estimate was found for the $35B tax plan or the plan to halve utility bills.
• Nassau crime-ranking and police-hiring claims were not independently verified, and the campaign site's 600 vs 900+ figures conflict.

Energy & utility bills

• specificBuild at least 1 gigawatt of new advanced nuclear power upstate through NYPA, part of what she calls a 5 GW "Nuclear Reliability Backbone." NYPA issued an RFQ for developers on June 1, 2026. No site has been named, and no cost was given for the plant. source
• goalCalls her energy policy "all-the-above" and says "The more supply we have, the more prices will go down." In the debate she said she wants to build nuclear in eight New York communities (News10 paraphrase). source
• specificUnder Executive Order 62 (the data center moratorium), will seek legislation to repeal sales-tax exemptions for data centers. The order also calls for a Generic Environmental Impact Statement on data center energy, water and air impacts. source

Taxes & cost of living

• specificCampaign says she is working to "lower auto insurance costs." In ABC7's Oct 21 report she says reforms she signed this year are aimed at cutting premiums by 10%. source
• goalPromises not to raise income taxes. In the State of the State she said new investments would be paid for "without raising taxes." source

Public safety

• goalCampaign says she will "invest in keeping NY streets and subways safe." source

Schools, child care & workforce

• goalCampaign says she is "working to deliver universal child care" and "Making universal childcare a reality." The FY2027 budget set a path to pre-K for all four-year-olds statewide by the 2028-29 school year. No statewide universal child care date or total cost was found on the campaign site. source

Immigration

• specificState of the State 2026: proposed barring federal immigration agents from schools, hospitals and houses of worship, and said "New York will not allow the use of state resources to assist in federal immigration raids." Parts were enacted in the FY2027 budget (see track_record). source

Enacted or delivered

• FY2026 budget (May 2025): Empire State Child Credit of up to $1,000 per child under 4 (from tax year 2025) and up to $500 per child aged 4-16 (from 2026); the previous maximum was $330. Refundable; phases out above $110k (joint) / $75k (single). Corrected 2026-10-24 per NYS DTF (IT-213-I); the earlier entry dated it to the FY2027 budget. (2025-05) source
• FY2027 budget: no state income tax on up to $25,000 of tipped income for tax year 2026 (2026-05-28) source
• FY2027 budget: $1 billion in one-time POWER energy rebate checks ($200 for joint filers under $150,000; $150 for $150,000-$300,000) (2026-05-28) source
• FY2027 budget utility rules: utilities must file a budget-constrained option with rate requests; no charging customers for lobbying or political spending; an 'Affordability Monitor' when bills rise too high; a RATES commission to study bills and profits (2026-05-28) source
• FY2027 budget auto insurance changes: payout caps for drivers committing crimes, a narrower 'serious injury' definition, an insurer excess-profit threshold, DFS approval for some rate increases, a ban on rating by ZIP code, occupation or education, and staged-crash prosecution (2026-05-28) source
• FY2027 budget: child care and pre-K funding up $1.7B, to $4.5B; aimed at nearly 100,000 more children; pre-K seats for all 4-year-olds by 2028-29; new Office of Childcare and Early Education (2026-05-28) source
• FY2027 budget: bans 287(g) agreements for local and state police and corrections, bars civilian agencies and school resources from immigration enforcement, requires a judicial warrant for immigration agents to enter non-public areas of state and local facilities, and bars masks for officers dealing with the public (2026-05-28) source
• FY2027 budget: more than $900M added for public safety, including $77M for NYPD subway deployment; new laws on 3D-printed guns and gun blueprints (2026-05-28) source
• 'Let Them Build' change to the state environmental review law (SEQRA): some housing on previously disturbed, sewer-connected land is exempt from extra review (outside NYC, up to 300 units in urbanized areas and 100 elsewhere); review deadlines added (2026-05-27) source
• Executive Order 62: statewide pause on discretionary permits for data centers of 50 MW or more, while a Generic Environmental Impact Statement is prepared (2026-07-14) source
• FY2026 budget (May 2025): middle-class tax cut, first inflation refund checks, universal free school breakfast and lunch, limits on smartphones in schools, free community college for adults entering in-demand fields (2025-05) source
• Completion of Apartments at Mill & Main, Watertown: $28M, 63 affordable units (31 supportive), at 160 Main Ave (2026-06-03) source
• SAFE for Kids Act signed June 2024; final rules released with the AG on July 28, 2026 (2026-07-28) source

Introduced only

• Directed NYPA to develop at least 1 GW of advanced nuclear upstate; RFQ issued June 1, 2026, plus up to $40M for nuclear workforce training (2026-06-01) source

Claimed, not verified

• Claim that the auto insurance reforms will cut premiums about 10% (2026-10-21) source
• Claim of 'the largest middle-class rate cut in 70 years' / taxes 'to their lowest rate in 70 years' (2026-10-13) source
• Claim of 'sending inflation refund checks to over 8 million New Yorkers' (2026) source
• Campaign claims 'Removing more than 10,000 illegal guns off New York streets'; in the debate she cited 26,000 illegal guns removed (2026) source
• Campaign claims she 'Took Trump to court over his illegal tariffs and beat him – twice' and 'Secured funding for the Gateway Tunnel' (2026) source

• Visited Fort Drum on Mar 10, 2026, was briefed by Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, and said 'Fort Drum is the largest single-site employer in New York State.' The release lists no new dollar commitments. source
• On June 3, 2026, announced completion of the $28M Apartments at Mill & Main in downtown Watertown (63 units, 31 supportive). State support includes federal LIHTC equity of $13.2M, $11.4M in subsidy, and $773,242 a year from OMH. source
• The FY2027 budget includes a $30M Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program, with direct payments that include dairy producers. It is a statewide program, not Jefferson-specific. source

• The campaign site has About, Accomplishments and Endorsements pages but no forward-looking issues or platform page. Proposals here come from the site plus governor.ny.gov and news.
• No independent cost estimates were found for her 2026 campaign commitments.
• The 'lowest rate in 70 years' framing and the guns-removed counts (10,000 vs 26,000) were not verified.
• No full governor's release was read for the Aug 3, 2026 287(g) court ruling.

Energy & utility bills

• specificContinue moving the pension fund's investments to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. source

Taxes & cost of living

• goalEase costs for working-class families. He calls affordability "the top issue facing New York." source

Jobs & economy

• goalOn investing pension money in New York companies: "We do that already" (debate). No new in-state investment target was stated. source

Government accountability

• goalUse the comptroller's powers to make government more efficient and to "aggressively go after waste and fraud." source
• goalKeep the state pension fund fully funded and growing so public employees can retire comfortably. source
• goalShield the state budget from federal disruption, and warn of the fiscal effects of federal policy changes. source

Enacted or delivered

• Common Retirement Fund closed FY ending Mar 31, 2026 at a record $295.4B, with an estimated 11.94% return (3-yr 9.74%, 10-yr 8.94%); funded ratio 92.2% as of Mar 31, 2025 (2026-05-20) source
• Fund valued at $309.7B at end of the first quarter of SFY 2026-27 (6.12% quarterly return) (2026-08-17) source
• Anti-corruption program: 'Over 420 Arrests Made | Over $130 Million Recovered' (OSC count) (2007-2026) source

Claimed, not verified

• Created the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System for local governments source
• Audits every school district and BOCES on a rotating cycle source
• Net-zero-by-2040 transition plan for fund investments source

• OSC audited the Jefferson County IDA (Oct 2, 2020) and found officials did not verify applicant project information or do adequate cost-benefit analyses. A Nov 2024 follow-up found 1 of 5 recommendations fully implemented, 2 partly, and 2 not. source
• OSC audit of the City of Watertown (released Sept 8, 2023) found little monitoring of sexual-harassment-prevention training and unreliable completion records. source
• OSC published a North Country Region economic profile (Oct 2017) covering Jefferson County and the Watertown-Fort Drum economy. source

• The campaign site's Record & Policy page lists past record, not new-term proposals. Forward priorities come from a PoliticsNY Q&A (secondary).
• Fiscal Stress Monitoring System, school audit rotation and net-zero plan claims were not checked against OSC primary pages.
• No North Country-specific campaign proposal was found.

Taxes & cost of living

• goal"Protect the integrity of the property tax cap" and reduce pressures that drive local taxes higher. source

Jobs & economy

• specificCreate a "$10 billion Empire Opportunity Fund" to invest pension money in New York businesses and industries (advanced manufacturing, technology, energy, life sciences, logistics), "while maintaining the Comptroller's fiduciary responsibility." Earlier coverage says it would emphasize upstate. source
• goalOpposes the data center moratorium: "We can't just put a moratorium in place and basically just hit the brakes for a year." source

Government accountability

• specific"On day one" create a dedicated Fraud Strike Team in the Comptroller's Office. It would use claims analytics to flag suspicious billing, refer cases to prosecutors and the Medicaid Inspector General, and "publicly report every quarter." First targets: home care, non-emergency medical transportation, the CDPAP transition and child care. source
• specific"Stronger pre-payment monitoring, advanced data analysis, and modern fraud-detection tools" to flag claims before money is paid out. source
• specific"Prioritize aggressive audits of the MTA, Medicaid, CDPAP, state agencies, public authorities" and make the findings public. source
• goalUse the comptroller's contract-review authority "aggressively" so that questionable contracts are "challenged before the money is spent." source
• specificWork with the Legislature to set up a whistleblower reward program, and publish an annual fraud accountability report (complaints, investigations, referrals, arrests, recoveries). source
• specific"Cut excessive Wall Street fees" and push for disclosure of the pension fund's investment managers, fees and alternative-investment costs. source
• goal"Real-time audits of every agency." source

Claimed, not verified

• 'Founded, invested in, and led more than a dozen biotechnology, healthcare, and technology companies' and 'taken multiple companies public on the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange' source
• Helped advance commercialization of the first FDA-approved HPV test at Digene Corp. (later acquired by Qiagen) source

• Says upstate has been neglected and that the $10B fund would help 'double down in these regions' (Dec 2025 interview, WBNG Binghamton). No Jefferson County, Fort Drum or farm-specific statement was found. source
• Appeared with Blakeman at a June 12, 2026 event calling for an end to the state's fracking ban. source

• No record in public office to evaluate. Business claims are unverified.
• His 2025 NYC mayoral result (and whether he stayed on the ballot) was not found.
• Home county was not found.
• No North Country-specific proposals were found.

Health care

• goalPursue people and companies that "deprive [New Yorkers] of their health care access"; continue nursing-home investigations. source

Housing

• goalSue landlords who violate the rights of renters and voucher holders. source

Jobs & economy

• goal"Fighting for New Yorkers to have fair wages and access to good-paying jobs" and "laser-focused on keeping costs down," including costs set by online platforms. source

Public safety

• goalContinue work against gun violence, illegal firearms and ghost guns (gun buybacks and enforcement against organized crime rings). source

Immigration

• goal"Protect immigrants... against the Trump administration's chaotic and illegal immigration activities" through a Legal Observation Project and lawsuits (e.g., on birthright citizenship). source

Government accountability

• goalElection security: oppose the SAVE Act and federal efforts to "federalize voting" in 2026. source

Other

• goalConsumer protection: enforce the FAIR Business Practices Act against predatory lenders, abusive debt collectors and dishonest mortgage providers; protect consumer data. source

Enacted or delivered

• FAIR Business Practices Act (AG program bill) signed Dec 19, 2025; extends consumer law (GBL 349) to 'unfair' and 'abusive' practices; effective Feb 17, 2026 (2025-12-19) source
• SAFE for Kids Act (limits algorithmic feeds and overnight notifications for minors) signed June 2024; final AG rules released July 28, 2026 (2026-07-28) source
• Opioid settlements: more than $3B for New York (incl. Teva up to $523M, CVS/Walgreens up to $458.2M, Purdue up to $250M) (2021-2025) source
• More than 9,900 guns removed since 2019 through buybacks and enforcement (AG count) (2026) source
• Appointed special prosecutor (by Gov. Hochul) for the Cornell University sexual-assault investigation (2026-10) source

Claimed, not verified

• Secured 'more than $9 billion from individuals and corporations who have taken advantage of New Yorkers' (2019-2026) source
• 'Sued the Trump Administration more than 50 times' (2025-2026) source

• June 21, 2024: from the JUUL multistate settlement, Jefferson County received $531,347.19 and Jefferson-Lewis-Oneida-Hamilton-Herkimer BOCES $368,831 (the North Country total was over $3M). source
• 2021: announced up to $14.5M in opioid settlement funds for the North Country. source

• The campaign Priorities page describes her record and ongoing work. No new, specific second-term proposals (with numbers or mechanisms) were found.
• The $9B recovered and 50+ lawsuits figures were not verified.
• The Trump civil-fraud appeal status in 2026 was not found.
• No 2025-2026 AG action specific to Jefferson County was found.

Health care

• specificCreate "a new Office of Civil Commitment staffed by both law enforcement and doctors" and "build residential treatment centers throughout the state." source

Public safety

• goal"Enforce the law by prosecuting crime"; "New Yorkers want consequences for violent criminals, and I will deliver them." source
• goal"Take the homeless and the sick off the street humanely." source
• specific"On Day One... declare a state of emergency over antisemitism." Use the AG's Executive Law § 63 power so the AG's office will "prosecute those cases itself" where district attorneys fail to protect Jewish or other targeted communities. Staff the OAG Hate Crimes Unit "immediately." source
• specific'Jacob's Law' (with Sens. Steve Chan and Steve Rhoads and Assemblyman John Mikulin): life without parole for people whose reckless conduct kills a child. No bill number had been assigned as of the release. source

Government accountability

• goal"Eliminate corruption and fraud." She has said she will prioritize Medicaid fraud (debate). source
• specificOpen an AG investigation into MTA overcharging of subway riders, and enforce fare-evasion laws (she says the MTA loses $1B a year). source

Enacted or delivered

• Chief of Staff of the DEA (2023-2024) source

Claimed, not verified

• Twelve years as an EDNY federal prosecutor. Her law firm says she conducted eight jury trials and argued fifteen Second Circuit appeals; the campaign says she prosecuted Al Qaeda, ISIS and Mexican cartel leaders (2013-2025) source

• No North Country, Jefferson County or Fort Drum-specific statement or campaign stop was found in what I searched. Spectrum's Sept 10 interview carried a Watertown page label but contained no regional content. source

• The campaign site's main platform is three bullets. Civil commitment and treatment-center proposals come from news (Spectrum) and were not found in a campaign document.
• Third-party tracker Branch reported in April and July 2026 that her site lacked issue pages on several topics. That was not re-checked.
• Prosecution record claims were not checked against DOJ releases.
• No North Country-specific material was found.

Energy & utility bills

• specificExpand federal weatherization grants and loans to cover tenants and non-owner-occupied homes ("The cheapest energy is the energy we don't use") source
• specificOpposes new AI data centers in the region, saying they don't "benefit local residents or provide jobs" and raise energy costs source
• specific"Scaling electric rates, where the less energy you use, the cheaper your rate is"; at an April 30, 2026 Sackets Harbor forum she described heavy users such as data centers paying more source
• goalInvestment in green energy facilities across upstate NY. On nuclear, she called current regional plants "extremely safe" but questioned whether new plants make financial sense and said the best-paying jobs "are going to be imported" source

Taxes & cost of living

• goal"Expanding access to affordable childcare" so parents can work and care for their children source

Health care

• specificSupports Medicare for All; names health insurance cost as the top issue she hears source

Housing

• specificExpand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to create and preserve affordable housing source
• specificInvest in federal home repair programs source
• specificA federal incentive for states and localities to speed up "housing approval processes" source

Jobs & economy

• goalSupporting small businesses source
• specificPass the PRO Act to protect workers organizing a union source
• specificEnd right-to-work laws source
• goalPrevent abuses of the "independent contractor" loophole source

Schools, child care & workforce

• specificA federal program, similar to BOCES, to "teach high school students carpentry and other trade skills focused on home-building" source
• specific"Public school education should be extended down to age 2" source

Government accountability

• goalNames "the rule of law" as a top issue and criticizes "politicians [who] take enormous sums from the ultra-wealthy"; no specific mechanism found source

Other

• goal"Fight for funding to expand bus networks" connecting rural communities to hospitals, schools and community centers source
• goalWork with local communities to "secure federal funding to modernize water systems, repair aging infrastructure" source
• goalSays she has "long supported LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, and equal rights for all Americans" source

Claimed, not verified

• Military service, including work at Bagram Airfield helping oversee flights in Afghanistan (before 2025) source
• Department of Veterans Affairs employee helping veterans secure benefits; among VA staff cut by DOGE in 2025 (also reported by WRVO) (2025) source
• Organized local town halls on Rep. Tenney's votes before deciding to run (2025) source
• Teacher for underprivileged youths after leaving the military (not stated) source

• Took voter questions at an April 30, 2026 Sackets Harbor candidate forum hosted by the Jefferson County Democratic Committee and Stronger Together (NNY360, May 1, 2026: https://www.nny360.com/news/jeffersoncounty/democratic-candidates-answer-questions-from-voters-in-sackets/article_87a32b87-ac6c-5764-b03c-dbb5fd752602.html)
• Gave a campaign interview to the Watertown Daily Times, republished Aug 11, 2026 by sister paper The Daily News; that article notes NY-24 includes the City of Watertown and southern Jefferson County (https://www.thedailynewsonline.com/news/ellman-pitches-solutions-focused-campaign-in-bid-against-tenney/article_3099ab38-ed98-4023-af80-3fc7701f3a6f.html)
• Her July 2025 launch pitch said people "From Lockport to Watertown" want someone to fight for them (WRVO: https://www.wrvo.org/2025-07-20/alissa-ellman-claudia-tenney-veterans-affairs-doge)

• No Fort Drum-specific proposal found on her campaign site or in what I searched.
• Her campaign site's /issues page returns 404; positions come from /priorities plus news.
• Her positions on immigration and on guns at the Oct 20 debate are not in the article text; the debate is video only (rochesterfirst.com).
• Term limits and her SAVE Act position appear only in a primary-debate search snippet; not used.
• Education degrees not stated on her campaign site.
• No Watertown Daily Times / NNY360 editorial endorsement found in what I searched.

Energy & utility bills

• goal2026 Energy and Environment Plan: expand domestic oil and natural gas production; support nuclear, hydroelectric, biofuel and emerging energy technologies; secure critical mineral supply chains; preserve consumer choice in energy ("Affordable, reliable energy and responsible environmental stewardship can and should go hand in hand") source

Taxes & cost of living

• goalCalls the roughly $40 trillion federal debt a long-term problem; credits the One Big Beautiful Bill ("Working Families Tax Cut") with about $1.6 trillion in spending cuts source

Health care

• specificOpposes Medicare for All, calling it "socialism" and "not a solution" source
• goal"Congress needs to come together to deliver solutions for Americans" on health care (campaign issues page teaser; full proposal not shown) source
• goal"Protecting Social Security and Medicare" (campaign issues page; no mechanism stated) source

Jobs & economy

• goalWork "to stop job killing legislation and regulations" source
• goalSays "we support our farmers" (no specifics in the article) source

Fort Drum, military & veterans

• goal"A particularly strong advocate for all veterans" (no specific veterans proposal on the campaign page) source

Schools, child care & workforce

• goalSays she has met with teachers, parents and students on education challenges (no specific proposal shown) source

Immigration

• goal"We must ensure the security of our nation's border immediately" source

Other

• goalSame plan: conserve the Finger Lakes and Great Lakes, improve water infrastructure and reuse, strengthen weather forecasting, expand recycling and local recreation source
• goal2026 Second Amendment Plan (July 30, 2026): oppose "unconstitutional firearm restrictions," protect gun owners' "privacy and due process rights," expand "access to firearms for law-abiding citizens" source
• goalOppose Chinese theft of American intellectual property and reduce China's influence over the U.S. financial system source

Enacted or delivered

• FY2026 NDAA (S. 1071, Public Law 119-60, signed Dec 2025): the enacted military construction table includes $9.5M for an aircraft maintenance hangar addition (design), $8.3M for ORTC transient training barracks (design) and $2.5M for Range 41C automated record fire range (design) at Fort Drum, each with a $0 budget request, matching the $20.3M her office cited. The enacted law also lists a $27M Fort Drum Wellfield Field Expansion energy-resilience project, which her release does not mention. NDAA amounts are authorizations; appropriations are separate. The items came from the Senate bill; the Senate committee report names Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer as requesters, and none was in the House-passed bill (verified 2026-10-24, S. Rept. 119-43). (2025-12-18) source
• Voted Yea on H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) at House passage, 2025-05-22 (roll 145), and Aye on concurring in the Senate amendment, 2025-07-03 (roll 190); became Public Law 119-21 (2025-07-04) source
• Voted Nay on H.R. 3967 (Honoring our PACT Act), 2022-03-03 (roll 57), and Nay on S. 3373 (the version enacted as the PACT Act), 2022-07-13 (roll 309). Ellman's campaign cites these votes. (2022-07-13) source

Passed one chamber

• H.R. 9496, End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act: passed the House by voice vote 2026-09-15 and the Senate without amendment by unanimous consent 2026-09-30. Not yet a public law as of 2026-10-24 (latest action 2026-10-14). (2026-09-30) source
• H.R. 323, naming the Avon NY post office for Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz: passed the House; on the Senate calendar (No. 591) since 2026-09-14 (2026-09-14) source
• H.R. 9495 (118th), Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act: passed the House; received in the Senate 2024-12-02; died at end of Congress (2024-12-02) source
• H.R. 5179 (118th), Anti-BDS Labeling Act: passed the House; referred to Senate Finance 2024-09-19 (2024-09-19) source

Introduced only

• Introduced the House companion to a bill to curb Medicare home health fraud (bill number not captured) (2026-10-13) source

Claimed, not verified

• Office says it "secured" $750,000 in EPA funding for the Development Authority of the North Country to rebuild the Army waterline serving Fort Drum (2025-09) source
• Campaign site claims: "24 Bills Introduced," "23 Tenney-Backed Bills Passed the House," "5 Tenney-Backed Bills Signed Into Law" (no time period or definition given) (undated) source
• Office says it helped constituents secure more than $49 million in benefits in 2026 (no independent audit or methodology) (2026-10-08) source

• Her House office runs a Watertown satellite office at 317 Washington Street (https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases?page=0)
• Three Fort Drum design projects totaling $20.3M that her office cited appear in the enacted FY2026 NDAA (Public Law 119-60) (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ60/html/PLAW-119publ60.htm) The items came from the Senate bill; the Senate committee report names Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer as requesters, and none was in the House-passed bill (verified 2026-10-24, S. Rept. 119-43).
• Her office announced $750K in EPA funding for DANC's Fort Drum waterline (Sept 2025) (https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-tenney-secures-750000-development-authority-north-country)

• Cosponsored bills that became law were not counted: the congress.gov API demo key hit its rate limit, and congress.gov and govtrack.us pages block automated fetches.
• The campaign issues page shows teasers only; the full text behind each 'Read More' was not read.
• The campaign endorsement page is undated and lists Walczyk as 'Assemblyman', so it likely predates 2023.
• FY2027 NDAA Fort Drum items: not checked (not enacted as of 2026-10-24).
• Her positions on immigration, guns and Iran/Israel at the Oct 20 debate exist only in the video.
• No Watertown Daily Times / NNY360 editorial endorsement found in what I searched.

Energy & utility bills

• goalNames rising utility bills as a shared concern across the district (no mechanism stated) source

Health care

• goalOpposes federal health care cuts she says are hurting the North Country: "taking away access to critical health care at this time, it scares me" source

Schools, child care & workforce

• specific"I'm very much against the school voucher system at this point"; does not want public money going to private schools source
• goalFair and equitable school funding; strengthen rural schools source

Government accountability

• goalPraises the state Public Campaign Finance Program that matches small in-district donations; pledges to "always be open and transparent and listen to all voices" source

Other

• goalArgues a Democrat in the Senate majority could cooperate with other lawmakers faster and bring "a different voice" to Albany; favors bipartisan coalitions source

Claimed, not verified

• Chair, Lewis County Democratic Committee (2026) source
• Grant writer / grant manager at Samaritan Medical Center (2026) source
• Spanish teacher at Lowville Academy; youth drug and alcohol prevention nonprofit work (before 2026) source

• Works as a grant writer at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown (NCPR, Oct 23, 2026)
• Took voter questions at the April 30, 2026 Jefferson County Democratic Committee / Stronger Together forum in Sackets Harbor (https://www.nny360.com/news/jeffersoncounty/democratic-candidates-answer-questions-from-voters-in-sackets/article_87a32b87-ac6c-5764-b03c-dbb5fd752602.html)
• SD-49 includes the City of Watertown (Spectrum News, Feb 24, 2026)

• Campaign website or issues page: not found in what I searched.
• Detailed policy proposals: not found in what I searched; her stated positions are general apart from vouchers.
• No two-candidate debate or forum with Walczyk found in what I searched.
• No Watertown Daily Times / NNY360 editorial endorsement found; NYSUT endorsed her opponent.

Energy & utility bills

• specificCampaign alternatives to S9005A (virtual power plants, which the site opposes): "promoting nuclear power, upgrading natural gas peaker plants, repowering biomass, bringing new plants online," and moving away from heavily subsidized "green" projects source
• goalInvest more in hydropower and nuclear energy, potentially in the district; lower energy costs ("We have no excuse for it here in New York") source
• specificEliminate the System Benefits Charge on utility bills (S7075); the 2025 release says this would save ratepayers "over $150 million per year" source
• specificRequire a fiscal note estimating ratepayer costs on any bill affecting utility rates (S8447) source

Taxes & cost of living

• goalRein in state spending to ease the property tax burden shifted onto counties source

Public safety

• specificReimburse localities that hold felony-convicted incarcerated individuals (S8448) source

Government accountability

• goalCalls himself "the voice of opposition" who has worked across the aisle; the campaign site cites "calling out corruption" without examples source

Enacted or delivered

• 2025-26 session: 11 distinct Walczyk-sponsored Senate bills signed by the Governor, including S6207 (extends Jefferson County's additional sales tax to Nov 30, 2027), S4858 (Lewis County sales tax extension), S40 (dedicates a state highway portion to War Dogs), S7028 (Little Falls deficit bonds), S10028 (East Herkimer fire department membership) and Herkimer, Hamilton, Fulton and Oswego county tax extensions (2025-2026) source
• 2023-24 session: 17 distinct Walczyk-sponsored bills signed, including S6345 (Jefferson County additional sales tax to 2025), S8101 (Chaumont River bridge named for Michael J. Finerson), S4707 (La Fargeville highway named for Peyton L. S. Morse), S6879 (West Carthage housing authority transfer to Wilna) and S9300 (Clayton village police retirement option) (2023-2024) source

Passed one chamber

• S7602-B, dedicating part of Route 68 in Ogdensburg to Fort de la Presentation: passed the Senate; in Assembly committee (same as Gray's A8134) (2025-06-04) source
• S8100 (2023-24), Montague (Lewis County) low-volume and minimum-maintenance roads: passed the Senate; died in Assembly committee (2024-01-08) source

Introduced only

• S7075, eliminate the System Benefits Charge: defeated in the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee 3-6 (May 5-6, 2026) (2026-05-06) source
• S8447, fiscal note on bills affecting ratepayer costs: committee vote 2 aye / 5 nay on May 12, 2026; remains in Investigations and Government Operations (2026-05-12) source
• S9917 (municipal permits for certain energy projects), S9519 (dissolve the Clifton-Fine health care corporation), S8607-A (statewide greenhouse gas limit calculation), S8582 (e-commerce 'made in USA' filter and tax credit): all in Senate committee (2025-2026) source

Claimed, not verified

• Hosted Fort Drum Day in the Senate (May 7, 2025). A search summary indicates other years' Senate resolutions were sponsored by Sen. Scarcella-Spanton; Walczyk's resolution sponsorship was not verified. (2025-05-07) source
• Asked the Governor to pause new solar farm installations after a battery fire in Jefferson County (2023) source

• Former Watertown City Council member (elected 2015) and former Assemblyman for AD-116 (Wikipedia)
• Sponsored S6207, signed, extending Jefferson County's additional sales tax to Nov 30, 2027 (nysenate.gov)
• Lives outside Sackets Harbor (NCPR, Oct 23, 2026)

• No two-candidate debate or forum found in what I searched; his campaign site says Democrats are "afraid to debate" him (claim).
• His vote on S9005A, which the campaign site discusses, was not checked.
• Signing dates shown in nysenate search results are print/version dates, not verified chapter dates.
• 2026 endorsements beyond NYSUT: not found in what I searched; the campaign site list is from 2024.
• Military rank and branch conflict between sources (see background).

Other

• goalStated priorities: "Fairness & Impartiality" (rulings on law and facts "without bias or political considerations"), "Rule of Law," and "Community Trust" (judicial candidates generally do not publish policy platforms) source

Claimed, not verified

• Grand Jury Bureau Chief and Felony Trial Bureau Chief, Onondaga County DA's Office; prosecutor there since 2007 (2007-present) source
• Municipal Court Bureau Chief, Nov 2019-Aug 2021 (2019-2021) source

• The 5th Judicial District includes Jefferson County; his site lists Jefferson among the district's six counties (manfrediforsupremecourt.com)
• Other Jefferson County or North Country ties: not found in what I searched

• Independent qualification ratings: the NY courts IJEQC 5th JD ratings page blocks automated fetches (403), so it is unread.
• No 2026 Onondaga County Bar Association or CNY Women's Bar Association ratings found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found in what I searched; his blog page has no posts.

Other

• goalCampaign theme "Proven Experience, Unwavering Integrity"; presents himself as an experienced, independent judge (judicial candidates generally do not publish policy platforms) source

Enacted or delivered

• Elected Onondaga County Family Court Judge, Nov 2023 (a county elected-officials list shows his term through 2033) (2023-11) source

Claimed, not verified

• Says he was the first Family Court judge appointed to the Onondaga County Court Youth Part (not stated) source
• Published decision: Matter of N.S., 2025 NY Slip Op 51114(U) (2025) source
• Qualified Accessible Magistrate designation (2017, 2018); president, Onondaga County Magistrates' Association (2017-2018) (2017-2018) source

• The 5th Judicial District includes Jefferson County, so the seat serves Jefferson County cases (theballotbrief.com)
• Jefferson County or North Country ties: not found on his campaign site or in what I searched

• Independent qualification ratings: the NY courts IJEQC 5th JD ratings page (nycourts.gov/courts/ad4/IJEQC/IJEQC-ratings-11-5JD.html) blocks automated fetches (403), so it is unread.
• No 2026 Onondaga County Bar Association or CNY Women's Bar Association ratings found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found in what I searched.

Energy & utility bills

• goalInvestigate "the root causes of recent rate increases to provide relief to taxpayers" source
• specificSupport "advanced nuclear energy technology" as a power source for local industry; introduced A10966 to create an advanced nuclear energy workforce development commission and program source
• specificUtility bills introduced in 2026: A11229 (utility rate increase transparency), A11206 (termination of service, deferred payment plans, quarterly billing), A11419 (connection guidelines for high-usage customers) source

Health care

• goalExamine what is destabilizing North Country hospitals and protect "local access to care" source

Fort Drum, military & veterans

• specificContinue support for "Project Janus at Fort Drum" source
• specificA01102 would establish a governor's military council; A03747 concerns annual vehicular access for active-duty service members source

Public safety

• specificA03827 would remove residency requirements for Jefferson County assistant district attorneys source

Schools, child care & workforce

• goalBack "BOCES, SUNY institutions and community colleges" with clear routes from school into local jobs source

Enacted or delivered

• A9074 / S8454-A: exempts the St. Lawrence County public health director and director of community services from residency requirements; signed, Chapter 341 (2026) source
• A11163 / S10029: raises the St. Lawrence County occupancy tax from 3% to 5%; signed, Chapter 263 (2026) source
• A5021-A / S4567-A (2023): extends St. Lawrence County's additional 1% sales tax to Nov 30, 2025; signed, Chapter 234 of 2023 (2023-07-28) source

Passed one chamber

• A5014-A (2023-24): designates Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority security staff as peace officers; passed the Assembly in 2023 and 2024; died in Senate Codes (2024-05-29) source

Introduced only

• A10966 (advanced nuclear workforce), A11229 (rate increase transparency), A11206 (utility termination and payment plans), A03827 (Jefferson County ADA residency), A01102 (governor's military council): all referred to committee, no further action (2025-2026) source

• Fourth-generation owner of Gray's Flower Shop in Watertown (Wikipedia)
• Jefferson County Legislator for 21 years, six as chairman (Wikipedia)
• Supports Project Janus at Fort Drum (Assembly 'Gray Area', Jan 9, 2026)

• The 2023-24 session was not fully enumerated; only two bills from a 2023 newsletter were checked.
• No campaign website found; unopposed.
• No 2026 campaign-specific statements found beyond his Assembly newsletter.

Public safety

• goal2021 campaign priorities: reduce crime, listen to staff, work with the public (pre-2026; no 2026 platform found) source

Enacted or delivered

• Outsourced food service at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility to Trinity Services Group (3-year contract, est. $711,312/yr at an average daily population of 160; four kitchen positions abolished). Legislators described it as the Sheriff's recommendation after his presentation; the Board approved Res. 202 by 8-4 on July 7, 2026. (2026-07-07) source
• At the Sheriff's request, the Board created one extra Deputy Sheriff position so a recruit could join the March academy, abolishing the next deputy vacancy (Res. 45, unanimous) (2026-02) source
• Sheriff's Office grants accepted by county resolutions in 2026: DCJS STRIVE intimate partner violence award (Res. 162, May; reappropriated Res. 185, June); GIVE gun-violence grant 2025-26 (July); Operation Stonegarden amendment; FY2027 police traffic services grant (Oct agenda, Res. 269) (2026) source

• Countywide elected office headquartered in Watertown; runs the county jail and road patrol (jeffersoncountyny.gov)
• Career in the Jefferson County DA's office and Sheriff's Office (NNY360, 2021)

• No 2026 statement or platform from Sheriff Barnett found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found in what I searched; unopposed.
• The sheriff's office newsroom and annual reports were not reviewed in depth.

No published proposals found in what we searched.

Enacted or delivered

• Moved Res. 84 (Mar 2026) adopting county administrative policies on artificial intelligence; adopted unanimously (2026-03) source
• Moved Res. 187 (June 2026), an agreement with ACR Health for homelessness street outreach; adopted on a roll call (2026-06) source
• Moved Res. 173 (June 2026), the NY 250th Commemoration monument project agreements; adopted (2026-06) source
• Voted Aye on Res. 202 (jail food service outsourcing), adopted 8-4, July 2026 (2026-07-07) source
• Moved about 20 resolutions in Jan-Oct 2026, mostly contracts and grants (audit services, Board of Elections grants, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization opioid abatement funds, an airport terminal project) (2026) source

Introduced only

• Moved Res. 73 (Feb 2026), accepting a $499,997 state EMS support grant for an ALS intercept and bariatric response program; it was defeated 5-8, and Calarco was among the 8 Nays (the HHS committee had recommended against it) (2026-02) source

• District 12 lies entirely within the City of Watertown (county district page)

• No 2026 campaign statement or platform found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found; unopposed.

No published proposals found in what we searched.

Enacted or delivered

• Moved Local Law Intro No. 1 of 2026, requiring building permits for all commercial renewable energy conversion systems; adopted unanimously July 7, 2026 as Local Law No. 2 of 2026 (2026-07-07) source
• Moved Res. 45 (Feb 2026), a Deputy Sheriff position requested by the Sheriff; adopted unanimously (2026-02) source
• Voted Nay on Res. 202 (jail food service outsourcing; adopted 8-4) and Aye on the failed motion to postpone it, July 2026. Also voted Nay on Res. 73 (EMS grant; defeated 5-8), Feb 2026 (2026-07-07) source
• Moved about 47 resolutions or local laws in Jan-Oct 2026, the most of the four City legislators; mostly finance, contracts, highway and Sheriff's Office grants (2026) source

Introduced only

• Moved Res. 218 (Aug 2026) urging the NYS Attorney General to investigate national booking services over short-term-rental data reporting under Real Property Law 447-B; tabled (2026-08) source
• Moved Local Law Intro No. 3 of 2026, moving the Board's chairman selection to odd-numbered years after state law shifted county elections to even years; on the Oct 2026 agenda for adoption (2026-10) source

• District 13 lies entirely within the City of Watertown (county district page)

• No 2026 campaign statement or platform found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found; unopposed.

No published proposals found in what we searched.

Enacted or delivered

• Moved Res. 211 (July 2026) accepting a stipend from the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization; adopted (2026-07) source
• Moved Res. 228 (Aug 2026), agreements for mental hygiene services; adopted unanimously (2026-08) source
• Moved Res. 69 (Feb 2026), personal emergency response systems funding with the Henry Keep Home; and Res. 13 (Jan 2026), appointing the Director of the Office for the Aging (2026) source
• Seconded the motion to postpone Res. 202 (jail food service) and voted Nay on its adoption (adopted 8-4), July 2026. Voted Nay on Res. 73 (EMS grant; defeated 5-8), Feb 2026 (2026-07-07) source

Introduced only

• Oct 2026 agenda: moves Res. 265 (Children's Home / Resolution Center agreements) and Res. 269 (Sheriff traffic safety grant) (2026-10) source

• District 14 covers part of the City of Watertown plus parts of LeRay (Fort Drum's home town) and Pamelia (county district page)

• No 2026 campaign statement or platform found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found; unopposed.

No published proposals found in what we searched.

Enacted or delivered

• Opposed Res. 202 (jail food service outsourcing to Trinity Services Group), saying it was not "best for taxpayers" and citing the vendor's violations and fines; voted Nay; adopted 8-4, July 7, 2026 (2026-07-07) source
• Moved Res. 11 (Director of Insurance appointment) and Res. 39 (2026 budget and capital plan amendment for highway equipment), Jan 2026 (2026-01) source
• With Potter, voted Nay on a floor amendment to the county purchasing policy (Res. 217), Aug 2026 (2026-08) source

Introduced only

• Voted Nay on Res. 73 (EMS support grant; defeated 5-8), Feb 2026, after his HHS committee recommended against it (status reflects that the resolution was defeated, not enacted) (2026-02) source

• District 15 covers part of the City of Watertown and part of the Town of Watertown (county district page)

• No 2026 campaign statement or platform found in what I searched.
• No endorsements found; unopposed.
• HHS committee minutes were not reviewed for items he chaired.