Oneonta’s Adrienne Martini recently completed her campaign as the Democratic candidate to be our representative in New York state’s Assembly District 122. Oneonta is at the southernmost tip of a district that snakes through four counties (Otsego, Herkimer, Madison and Oneida) to the shores of Oneida Lake 80 miles away. Coming from the lightly populated tip of the district and running against an incumbent in a district with a strong Republican majority, Martini entered the race knowing it would be an uphill battle.
So why did she do it? “I really feel like I had something to offer with a good understanding of how local government works (she is now serving her fifth term as a county representative) and I thought I could use that knowledge to leverage support for local government,” she explained. “City, village, town governments — that is the stuff that touches your life,” she continued. “When those systems fail, you are going to notice it pretty quickly.”
Her work at the county level has taught her that the state doesn’t always understand what is happening at the local level, she said. She cited the state raising the maximum income level for free pre-school. “The problem is that a really good idea didn’t come with extra money,” Martini said. “More are eligible but with the same money — stuff like that. Great mandates, but you have to help us pay for it. It’s important that more rural areas have more of a voice at the state because most of the state’s attention seems to go downstate.”
The reality of the state Legislature is that it is tough to get what you need when you are not in the majority party. As mayor of Oneonta, I started out with Assembly member Bill Magee, a Democrat in a Democratic-majority Assembly and Sen. Jim Seward, a Republican in a Republican-majority Senate. I miss both those guys. They both cared deeply about Otsego County and had the ability to help with both money and policies. I learned just how fortunate I had been when things changed and both our assembly member and senator were in the minority party. Martini hoped she could make a difference for us by having at least one of our legislators in the majority.
Despite putting 10,000 miles on her car within a few months, Martini said that if she had it to do over again, she wouldn’t change a thing. She described her experience as “a lot like I thought it would be and also nothing like I thought it would be.” She said, “I received more support than I could have asked for as people were delighted to have an alternative.” The issues she heard repeated most often included the need for affordable housing, better access to health care and the extent of homelessness and substance abuse. The solutions, she explained, require both more funding from the state and local support of innovative approaches — she cited the Utica Rescue Center and Otsego County’s tiny homes project as providing different models.
While Martini said she is not likely to pursue that office again, she is willing to provide advice to others who may do so. “Know why you will run and be able to say it in two sentences,” she advised. When asked to hear her two sentences, without hesitation she said, “I have a lot of experience in county government and a lot of the problems we face as counties can be addressed at the state level. I am the person who can address it as I know the subject.” She also advises those who may run to “have thick skin. Have patience. Genuinely like talking to people. Like to drive, and have a good sense of humor — you will need it.” She then added, “Say what you believe — you have nothing to lose.” Finally, I asked about the unique challenges of running for office as a woman. The hardest part of being a female candidate, she would tell me, was “never knowing what to wear. Men just put on a suit and tie.” Martini’s final advice to those considering running for office was, “Just do it.”
Many of us are feeling concerned — more like alarmed — about where we are headed as a country and are asking what we can do. Follow Martini’s example and run for local office. It is important to contrast what we are seeing developing now at the national level with competent local government focusing on meeting the needs of all people. As Martini pointed out, local government “is the stuff that touches people’s lives.” It is where many of our future state and federal politicians will get their start.
Historically, the political pendulum in this country has swung back and forth. Many of us are now worried that this time could be different. There is a need for us to groom new leaders. Martini may not have won her election, but she said that her efforts will have been well worthwhile if they have helped to pave the way for future candidates.