A veteran Republican Assemblyman is likely to be the only choice for voters in the 115th District.
David R. Townsend, R-Oneida, has no challenger as of late April for state Assemblyman of the 115th District. He has held the seat for 18 years. The general election is Nov. 4, 2008.
“Nothing really changes for me when I run unopposed,” Townsend said. “I still attend public functions, I still get out with the people.”
Townsend began his career as a police officer in Rome. But, he recalls, he was more than happy to accept when he was offered the chance to run for tate Assemblyman of the 115th district under the Republican party.
“The brass ring only comes around once in life,” Townsend said. “So when it came by me in 1990, I grabbed on.”
But his relationship with politics began years before.
“My family has always been involved in politics, either at the local level or the state,” Townsend said. “My great grandfather was the mayor of Rome, and my father was a tate Assemblyman. Politics has always been in me.”
And in the 18 years that Townsend has held the office, he has easily defeated every opponent that he has come up against.
George Joseph, the chairman of the Oneida County Republican party, says that Townsend’s long run in office is further proof of his dedication to his job. “A few years ago, even after six or seven terms, Townsend had never missed a vote in the Assembly,” Joseph said. “That’s just the fundamental basics of how Dave does is and how he works.”
Townsend has taken a strong stance on district issues such as an ongoing tax dispute with the Oneida Indians, as well as law and order, Joseph said. “He’s had some fights internally and externally. He’s been challenged before,” Joseph said. “But he continues to do it because he enjoys the job and he does it well.”
But Democratic chairman of Oneida County, Bill Morris, argues that Townsend’s long run in office is due more to voter demographics than popularity. The 115th District has two Republicans for every one Democratic registered voter.
“It’s a difficult district for a Democrat, even in the best of times,” Morris said. “I think we’d be looking for him to retire before we could make a serious bid for office.”
In 2004 and in 2006, Townsend defeated his most recent Democratic challenger, David J. Gordon, 25, of New Hartford.
“I ran because of the way New York government is and has been for years. There is a high rate of taxation on businesses, for example,” Gordon said. “I think that people are ready for a change. But it won’t come until Townsend is no longer in office.”
Gordon now praises Townsend for his connection to the public. “He is a pretty personable, likable guy for the most part,” Gordon said. “And that certainly gets him re-elected. It allows him to coast under the radar and get that two-to-one vote.”
For his part, Townsend cites the economy as a major issue in the state legislature. “Albany needs to wake up,” Townsend said. “The purpose of business is to employ people, but when you add extra fees and taxes, you get a scenario where people can’t afford to compete. And that’s when they move away.”
But despite the battles he sees ahead, Townsend doesn’t plan to move on anytime soon.
“I see my job as the middleman between Mr. and Mrs. Citizen and the bureaucratic government that runs New York. When they get harassed and nothing else works, they come to me,” Townsend said. “I love it. It’s so gratifying helping people.”
(Larissa Padden is a graduate student in magazine-newspaper-online journalism.)
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