POUGHKEEPSIE – Assemblyman Colin Schmitt (R-New Windsor) is running for Congress against the Democratic incumbent, Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-19). They are running in the new 18th Congressional District.
In a series of advertisements, Schmitt has accused Ryan of stripping law enforcement of protective equipment and slashing the budget of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office while he was serving as Ulster County Executive.
On Friday, Schmitt sent a statement reiterating his allegations that the congressman rebuked. Speaking at a gathering of several law enforcement officials from the Hudson Valley in support of the bipartisan “Invest to Protect Act” that Ryan voted for, he announced additional funding to support small and mid-size police departments across the country.
Speaking to the GOP accusations, Ryan told Mid-Hudson News “I learned on day one at West Point that actions speak louder than words.” The congressman is a graduate of the United States Military Academy.
“My record as county executive included increasing funding to our county sheriff’s department,” Ryan said. The congressman also noted that, as Ulster County executive, he also increased funding by 20 percent to the Ulster County Violent Crimes Task Force, which resulted in “The single biggest seizure of illegal guns and drugs in county history.”
“Anybody that says anything else is deceptive – is desperate, and I have no tolerance for that,” Ryan said.
