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 follow in Larkin’s footsteps.
“We have benefitted from having an honest, mature, straight-shooting, tough as nails senator representing us for nearly three decades, so let us begin this journey and 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.
