Rajsz challenges LaBuda

Posted 8/21/12

SULLIVAN COUNTY DISTRICT TWO — Democrat Kathy LaBuda is the longest-serving legislator in office, and as majority leader of the Democrats, who enjoyed a seven-to-two advantage over Republicans for …

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Rajsz challenges LaBuda

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SULLIVAN COUNTY DISTRICT TWO — Democrat Kathy LaBuda is the longest-serving legislator in office, and as majority leader of the Democrats, who enjoyed a seven-to-two advantage over Republicans for the past four years, she wielded considerable power. But her reign is being challenged by Nadia Rajsz, the current supervisor of the Town of Lumblerland, who is also a registered Democrat.

Although LaBuda bested Rajsz by 250 to 209 votes in the Democratic primary in the last election in 2011, there were 2,067 votes cast, so the contest could be a close one. Both candidates are running on three lines: LaBuda is on the Democratic, Conservative and Independence lines, while Rajsz is on the Republican, Rural Heritage and Reform Party lines.

Differences between the two emerged as the legislature approved the newly draw election districts in July 2014, with district 2 seeing the biggest change. Roughly half of the Town of Highland was moved out of the district, and because Highland is next door to the Town of Lumblerland and could have been seen as a natural source of Rajsz supporters, some in the political realm saw the redistricting as a move to blunt Rajsz’ chance at winning the district 2 seat.

There was criticism. Andy Boyar, supervisor of the Town of Highland, said at a public meeting before adoption of the new district, “The district is so misshapen on its face that it begs the question, who played with the map?”

County historian John Conway said, “The map gives the impression that there was a clumsy attempt to gerrymander these districts.”

The issue was brought up at a political debate on radio station Thunder 102, which aired on October 21. LaBuda said the district was not gerrymandered. She said the legislature did not create the district; that was done by a consultant who offered three or four different plans. She said Jonathan Rouis, who represents Bloomingburg in the district next door to hers, had too many constituents, who had to be moved to her district, and residents at the other end of her district had to be moved out. She said, “There was no gerrymandering going on at all, I give you my word.”

Rajsz said there were two supervisors from the affected towns asking LaBuda to table the motion, and she declined to do so. She also said, “When I called the consultant to see what the other designs or maps were, he told me that he could not speak to me because he was told not to respond… It did appear [to be] gerrymandering, so the next time around I’m hoping that this is done in a more accountable, and open and transparent way.”

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