Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is a familiar name for many in Chautauqua County.
We wouldn’t say she’s a familiar face for county residents despite serving in the Senate for nearly 16 years. The incumbent senator has carved out a position in the national discussion on issues like sex violence in the military and funding for medical care for 9/11 survivors, but at the same time is somewhat absent when it comes to federal aid for local projects.
Chuck Schumer she is not.
She has also been willing to work with some Republicans, introducing legislation or co-sponsoring bills with Sen. Josh Hawley and even Ted Cruz, not someone with whom one would think Gillibrand would be able to forge consensus. It’s evident that Gillibrand tries to be more moderate than Schumer, but she’s also not as large a presence in the state’s 62 counties as Schumer.
Her challenger this year strikes a more moderate tone than some Republican newcomers. Mike Sapraicone is a retired New York Police Department detective who founded the Squad Security company. He’s not openly critical of Schumer, supports background checks for gun purchases, is looking for sensible rules on migrants, takes a sensible view of judicial confirmations and supports the repeal of Roe v. Wade while expressing disappointment with New York’s abortion laws.
In short, he sounds like someone Chautauqua County will support with its collective vote. We think Sapraicone would represent a majority of the county’s voters, but we acknowledge the challenger faces an uphill battle garnering enough support statewide to unseat Gillibrand.