NEW YORK, 19th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Like others running for a chance to go up against Republican Congressman John Faso in the fall, Democrat Brian Flynn thinks healthcare is a top issue in this election. Not only nationally, but specifically in this district, it is on people’s minds.

It’s been on Flynn’s mind since at least 2004, when, as an activist, he set up an organization called the Democratic Agenda. He said, “We were trying to establish policies that the Democratic Party should stand for. We suggested at that time that universal healthcare, and specifically Medicare for all, was a path forward and something that Democrats should believe in. In fact [now Senator] Kirsten Gillibrand was part of that group, before she chose to run for office. 

“The reason we did it was twofold. I believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and we shouldn’t have such disparities in delivery of our healthcare. But the other side of it is, especially as a small business owner, it makes the most economic sense.”

The group met with Democratic Congressional leaders, “to tell them this is an issue that Democrats should own and fight for and honestly sell the idea that it makes the most sense and will enable all of us to pay less for healthcare, have better coverage and create more jobs in our communities.”

Flynn’s website says that he is an entrepreneur and a small business owner and “the only candidate with a proven track record of creating hundreds of good-paying American jobs….”

He says Democrats have an opportunity to pick up Faso’s seat this year, but not without some work. “We’re going to have to convince people who previously voted for John Faso and Donald Trump to vote for us. We’re going to get good turnout, but we’re also going to have to convince and pursuade people that [Trump and Faso] have let them down. And they weren’t wrong to vote for them, because I think the Democratic Party hasn’t done enough for working people.

“But John Faso and Donald Trump, they’ve sold them a bill of goods, and they’ve betrayed them. They said they weren’t going to try to take away their healthcare and they tried to. They said they were going to give tax cuts to the middle class and they gave them to the rich. They said they were going to protect Social Security, and already John Faso is talking about going after people’s Social Security. To say nothing of the fact that in every one of the counties in our district, unemployment is up over the past year.”

There are seven candidates running in the Democratic primary in this district this year. Flynn says, “I like primaries; I think they’re good. It helps you sharpen your game, it makes us all stronger; the best person will emerge. Seven candidates is a lot, but I’ve gotten to know all of them. I think they’re all great people, I just happen to think they’re not all great candidates. I know I’m the right candidate. I’m not necessarily saying I’m better than any one of them, but it takes a unique combination in order to serve this district. You have to have a compelling story to tell the voters and beat John Faso.”

Asked about his ties to the district, he said, “The origin of my time here is my immigrant Irish grandfather who was a bartender in the Irish Catskills in Leeds, and my father spent his childhood there. So I’m the third generation to choose Greene County as my home, and about 15 years ago, that was reason why, when Amy and I were looking for a place to raise our kids outside the city, we chose to come back to Greene County.”