Story credit: WLEA radio.
Painted Post, N.Y. – Today, teacher, coach and community leader Rick Gallant announced his campaign for Congress in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, currently held by Representative Tom Reed. (see additional story from The Buffalo News).
Gallant issued the following statement:
“I am an educator, coach and father who has devoted his life to educating young people and serving our communities. I look forward to taking that work ethic and focus to Congress to ensure our children have a bright future, and to bring good jobs to our district.
Our Congressman, Tom Reed, is voting in lock step with Donald Trump and his party. He says one thing here at home, but votes another way once he’s in Washington. It’s time for a representative who will deliver more than lip service.
I’m running for Congress because I’m willing to walk the walk.
As a teacher and coach, I know that we need to give our children the skills and abilities to succeed in the 21st century and make sure that young people who grow up here can stay here, and become caring, productive citizens. We need to give all students the opportunity to attend college if they qualify, and make sure they don’t graduate burdened with huge loan debt.
I ran a small business and I understand the opportunities and challenges our families face. We can grow the local economy and bring jobs back to the region by enacting tax reform that supports middle-class families and eliminating wasteful spending.
I know that repealing the Affordable Care Act and putting insurance companies in charge of our healthcare would be disastrous. And as the father of two daughters, I won’t sit silently as Rep. Reed and President Trump cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.
The residents of our district deserve someone who has walked in their shoes, someone who will truly listen to their needs, and who will do everything he can to make life better for his constituents. I am that person, and I look forward to getting to work.”
About Rick Gallant
Raised by a family of educators, Rick Gallant has served as a teacher and basketball coach in the Corning-Painted Post School District for the past 17 years. A former assistant college basketball coach and sportswriter, Rick and his wife, Amy, moved to the area two decades ago and ran a small business running whitewater rafting tours.
Rick took on a leadership role in his union, earning the trust of his peers to serve as President of the Corning Teachers’ Association and now represents 150 local unions from Waverly to Westfield on the Board of Directors for New York State United Teachers, where he fights for teachers, teaching assistants, bus drivers and monitors, custodians, and clerical staff.
Rick is running for Congress because the Southern Tier and Southwestern New York have been left behind by Washington. Tom Reed too often puts his own political party or himself ahead of families while Rick will put people first and work to bring jobs and opportunities back to our region. It’s time the people of New York’s 23rd District had someone who has walked in their shoes and hears their concerns.
