Larkin gives a thumb’s up to Basile’s candidacy
NEWBURGH – Saying he wanted to continue to legacy of the retiring
State Senator William Larkin, Republican Thomas Basile formally launched
his Senate campaign on Saturday.
With Larkin by his side, Basile, a Stony Point town councilman, was greeted
by a packed room at the Armory Unity center in Newburgh. Top officials
from the three counties represented in the 39th District – Orange,
Ulster and Rockland counties – were present. State GOP Chairman
Ed Cox also attended.
Basile said he plans to work for the people to address their concerns
including lowering taxes, providing health care for all, and taking state
controls and mandates out of the lives of local residents. “We deserve
to continue to have someone in the Senate who understands the basic economics
that seem to be lost on New York City political posses – that you
can’t tax your way to prosperity, borrow your way out of debt and
throwing more of our money at problems and programs isn’t a real
solution we can afford.”
With a theme of “We’re all in this together,” Basile
said he would continue to serve as Larkin has, “putting people and
common sense over politics and division to ensure we all can live, work
and raise a family together.”
Basile previously worked in the administrations of Governor George Pataki
and President George W. Bush and served as an advisor to the coalition
government in Baghdad, Iraq, for which he was awarded the joint Civilian
Service Commendation.
Following Basile’s announcement, Democratic State Campaign Committee
spokesman Michael Murphy said Basile “is the Hudson Valley Steve
Bannon.” He said the 39th Senate District “deserves a senator
who can work across the aisle to get things done, not some shady political
operative who works in the shadows and is bankrolled by the Mercer-Bannon
Machine and New York City real estate interests.”
Murphy said Basile “will be just another rubber stamp for the corrupt
party bosses, and Hudson Valley families deserve better.”
GOP Chairman Ed Cox had a different viewpoint. Following Basile’s
announcement, he told Mid-Hudson News “all politics is local. Locally
we have a corrupt governor. We have Democrats who have been in office
now for 12 years. It’s time for a change. New York State needs a
change and they are going to have a change in November. We are going to
elect Republicans in November.”
Another Republican, Orange County Legislator Michael Anagnostakis, of
the Town of Newburgh, is exploring a run for the GOP line in the State
Senate race.
On the Democratic side, Assemblyman James Skoufis is considering his
options going forward.
