Campaign Update: Staying Positive
Recently, it has come to my attention that a negative campaign run by opposition-driven organizations criticized me for volunteer work I did as a private citizen. Some have insinuated that volunteering to educate neighbors about an important ballot issue was somehow inappropriate because we used a PAC to help us get the word out.
So, let’s talk about PACs!
Maybe you think PACs are bad, if so, you’re probably thinking of Super PACs. Yea, those aren’t great. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. Super PACs, unfortunately, give regular PACs a bad rap.
PAC stands for Political Action Committee and it’s a group that is registered with the FEC and usually with other offices like the county board of elections. PACs actually require a high level of transparency as opposed to other organization designations you might encounter because of the strict laws PACs have to adhere to around financial disclosures. PACs are very common and very important to the political process. They are frequently used when educating citizens about issues that appear on the ballot, and have been used in this way since 1944. One example of a PAC in Hudson that you may be familiar with is the PAC used to educate citizens on Hudson City School District levies when those have appeared on the ballot. Additionally, one of the organizations that is criticizing me for volunteering my time for a PAC had a PAC designation themselves when they lobbied against a local ballot initiative in 2019.
It is my belief that this campaign they have launched is intended to influence this election in November for political gain. This is an example of the unfortunate and negative politics prevailing today in our community.
It’s not accurate to frame my past volunteer work as anything other than supporting issues and people I believe in. It saddens me to be the subject of an attack simply because I have had a different opinion than them. My past volunteer work stems from my love of democracy, the political process, and this city.
I have to say, I never expected to experience this level of mud-slinging in a local race like this. In a way, I’m flattered!
I think residents of Hudson are tired of negative attacks – especially when they are rooted in falsehood or half-truths. I think Hudson wants progress. No, I KNOW Hudson wants progress. And that’s what I will deliver come November. I won’t run a negative campaign and you shouldn’t tolerate one. Join me in my quest for change, for hope, and for a positively bright future for Hudson.
