Centrists Lead GOP's New York Comeback
Long Island congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY) is facing a serious challenge this year in the form of businessman Randy Altschuler, a Republican who has a sharp policy mind and understands the necessity of working with Democrats to pass legislation in what many analysts expect to be at least two years of divided government.
Altschuler is among a group of fresh-thinking New York Republican candidates who are making unusually strong bids to change the composition of the New York congressional delegation. This group includes ophthalmologist Nan Hayworth; former Deutsche Bank Managing Director for Trouble Assets Matt Doheny; and former FBI special agent and Gulf War veteran Michael Grimm.
New York’s 1st Congressional District on Long Island has long switched back and forth between the two major parties, but Rep. Bishop (D-NY) has held it since 2003. “This district has more registered Republicans than Democrats… and it’s a district that we have lost for eight years. If we can take back this district and others around New York, we’re really sending a signal that the Republican Party is back in the northeast,” Altschuler told FrumForum.
Randy Altschuler’s resume reveals an impressive candidate: he’s a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Business School, a successful businessman who has created over seven hundred American jobs, and someone who has clearly thought through his political positions.
That said, he’s doing his best to eschew labels and political tribes. Asked if he considered himself a tea party type candidate, Altschuler declined to embrace the term. “It’s hard to put any [label] on anything… [they are] people who are just sick and tired of what’s happening [in Congress],” he said, despite some previous praise for the movement.
"Randy is an independent businessman who is sick and tired of the direction our nation is headed in, and wants to bring some common-sense solutions to Congress. His allegiance is to his constituents, not to a particular label," emphasized Rob Ryan, senior communications advisor to the Altschuler campaign.
Altschuler also seems to stay away from more dogmatic political stances: he’s a self-identified conservative who sees some role for government, albeit a limited one. “There are areas where the government can be helpful, such as infrastructure… fixing roads and our bridges. Those are worthy investments,” says Altschuler. “Is government intervention necessary sometimes? Sure it is – the question is to what extent, and at what cost.”
Elections are just a means to an end though. Winning an election is merely getting permission to govern and Altschuler is a governance-minded conservative. Unlike some other, more dogmatic Republicans that may end up in Congress in January, Altschuler is a congressman that will fit well within the tense dynamics of a divided government.
“We have to be able to work together. It’s unacceptable for us to be in the majority for two years and get nothing accomplished. I’m confident that we can find a way to work together. We have to… we have too many serious problems to deal with,” said Altschuler.
Asked whether he could imagine an acceptable compromise on the issue of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, which expire January 1st, Altschuler said he expected some sort of compromise that renewed tax cuts for all income groups.
“I don’t know how, in the middle of the recession, you would possibly want to raise taxes on anybody. I think there are enough Democrats that will see [this issue in] the same way that we will. I’m confident that we’ll see [the Bush tax cuts] extended for all Americans.”
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