Archive: News

In February Democrat Michael Arcuri began his campaign to fill Republican Congressman Sherwood Boehlert's seat with a visit to Lansing.  Then Lansing Democratic Party Chairman John Cawley presented him with a Lansing throw, the blanket designed and sold by the Lansing Lions Club to help fund a new band stand in Myers Park.  Last Sunday Arcuri returned the favor, presenting the present Chairman Greg Lawrence with a framed full set of Arcuri 'baseball cards,' part of the campaign that got Arcuri elected to the US Senate in Tuesday's election.


Lawrence and Tompkins County Democratic Chairwoman Irene Stein welcomed about 80 Democrats to the Lansing Community Center.  Peter Meskill, who won a third term as Tompkins County Sheriff Tuesday, spoke briefly, joking that he'd better not go longer when Stein had given him only a minute.  "When she says brief," he laughed, "she means brief!"


Meskill thanked everyone for the support they provided for his campaign, saying, "This is an extremely important time both in our nation and locally," he said.  He urged the group to continue making phone calls, setting up signs and campaigning for the next two days before the election.  "We need to insure that we have a Democratic sweep," he said.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who ran unopposed Tuesday, was scheduled to introduce Arcuri.  Hinchey arrived late, but Stein paused the proceedings to wait for him.  He excoriated President Bush's policies, especially his Iraq policies, and criticized Bush's economic program before announcing Arcuri, calling him, "Someone who has every bit of character and ability to be a leader in the Congress of our Country."


After a long and sometimes vicious campaign, Arcuri seemed almost giddy, like a kid at his own birthday party.  "God, I love being in Lansing!" Arcuri said after one of the many bouts of enthusiastic applause.  "This is fun!"  And someone shouted, "We love you!"

Arcuri spoke of health care, saying that Iraqis have better coverage than our soldiers will when they get out of the Army.  "It is shameful that we do not have health care in this country for all of our citizens," he said.  He also spoke of energy and what the country must do to develop alternative fuel, as well as what he considers the real meaning of family values.  "We consider family values to be not what you try to do to drive us apart, but rather to bring us together as a country," he concluded.


The crowd was very receptive as he reenacted a debate he had participated in with his opponent Ray Meier.  "I have traveled 30,100 miles by car throughout the district," he said.  "I've flown another 15,000 miles.  I've knocked on 1800 doors in 26 different communities.  My message is the same.  People are tired of the direction of this country.  People want change."


By Tuesday night the country had that change, with the majority shifting from Republican to Democrat in the House of Representatives, and Arcuri's win contributing to that shift.  With 54% of the vote, the contest was one of the most closely contested ones in New York.  While it was a close race for Congress, Meskill won a clear victory in a three-way race for Sheriff.

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