The Babinec for Congress campaign continues to gain momentum, submitting over 10,000 signatures for the Upstate Jobs Party (UJP) line

You may remember that only 3,500 signatures were needed to qualify UJP as a party on the ballot. Our gathering almost three times as many was truly a remarkable accomplishment, which speaks to the energy and support we are gaining everyday throughout the district.

We couldn’t be more proud of our volunteers and the campaign team who have come together to make the Upstate Jobs Party a reality. This is truly a victory which speaks volumes of the voters’ strong desire for change. While our opponents continue to throw up last-ditch efforts to disenfranchise our petition signers, we are confident of final approval by the State Board of Elections, and that you will be able to cast your vote for me on the Upstate Jobs Line in November.

From the beginning my opponents, the special interests and the establishment politicians have been desperate to keep me out of NY22’s Congressional race. They don’t want the system to change – they like it just the way it is.

Having failed to keep me out of the race – get ready, here come the attacks, the lies and the dirty politics!

Tracker and Interview Disrupter

At Binghamton’s Spiedie Fest, my Democratic opponent actually paid someone to follow me with a camera, trying to catch me in an embarrassing moment. (I don’t know what, maybe dribbling mustard on my shirt?)

They call these people “trackers” and the practice is what passes today as an acceptable campaign practice. Imagine that…if donors only knew how their hard earned contributions were being spent! Truly, the only thing embarrassing is how low our politics have fallen. That’s not the way we are running my campaign.

My Republican opponent is no better. During a recent radio interview on Keeler in the Morning, she actually bombarded one of the producers with nearly twenty text messages in just a ten minute period filled with lies and mistruths she was hoping to get on air during my interview.

To this I shake my head. We need a different kind of politics. As an independent I have vowed not to accept special interest PAC dollars. This makes me beholden to no one but the voters. Both of my opponents are taking a lot of money from special interest groups. It’s a big reason why Washington is broken, and we have enough politicians like them already in Washington.

Parallels with Presidential Race

Trackers and text messages aside, I continue to focus on connecting with voters, and in doing so I hear their frustration in the two major parties. We have that in common – I have been largely disappointed in what I have been hearing from both presidential candidates, especially when it comes to jobs.

Radio host Bill Keeler brought up some parallels between NY22 and the presidential race regarding voters having concerns about both major party candidates. In NY22, Keeler referenced a relatively unknown on the Democratic side, and a candidate on the Republican side with many foes and a great deal of resistance. He asked if this leaves the door open for me as an independent. You bet it does! And it’s something I’m hearing a lot as I attend community events and get to know voters of the district.

Candidate Attributes Beyond Policy

In addition to where each candidate stands on policy, voters are looking carefully for who will provide good constituent service as seen from Richard Hanna and his predecessors.

Congressman Hanna, a Republican, has ruled out endorsing my Republican opponent and is on the record indicating I am a qualified candidate that voters should consider. He knows our community is craving true leadership – someone who can bring the parties together.

This is how I differ from my opponents with my track record of getting things done, especially when it comes to creating jobs and helping others start companies that create jobs. I’ve done this not only in the district, but throughout Upstate New York, and believe continuing down this path will slow down the out-stream of top talent that leaves our area. Remember, this talent is our greatest asset and our best hope to create more high paying jobs for our region.

We will soon address these topics and more in a series of public debates between myself and my opponents. These debates will be held at Herkimer Community College, Mohawk Valley Community College, Rome, Cortland and other locations.

We’ll release more details as soon as we have them, and I’ll look forward to your presence and support.

NEXT-> Dive into the Babinec JOBS Effect plan to learn more about how Martin Babinec will create more jobs, better paying jobs and increased prosperity across Upstate New York. It’s time to keep our families together, and Martin will use the power of Congress to being together the right people to have the right conversations about jobs.