Under blue skies and surrounded by apples, Republican Dave Knapp looks at ease. He’s at the LaFayette Apple Festival, sporting a blue shirt that reads “Dave Knapp for Assembly.” To many at the festival, he’s a familiar figure with deep local roots.
“I grew up here in LaFayette. My father was a dairy farmer and my mother was a school teacher. She taught right here in Lafayette for 46 years. So I’m a pretty well-known name in town. Again, part of it’s because of the family history too. I mean, my mother having taught for so long had a lot of the people in town in school. So probably it’s the family name too.” (David Knapp, Republican candidate for 121st state Assembly District)
With that recognizable name as an asset, Knapp is running for the 121st state Assembly District. He takes on incumbent Democrat Al Stirpe, who was elected in 2006. The 121st District includes the towns of Cicero, Clay, LaFayette, and Manlius. Republicans hold a 6,500-person edge in registered voters, with 33, 386 compared to the Democrats’ 26, 817.
In his race, Knapp is counting on name recognition and a résume
Knapp made a gradual entry into politics. After he graduated from LaFayette High School in 1980, he received an appointment to West Point. From there, he served four years active duty, mostly at Fort Lewis in Washington State. There he met wife Donna, to whom he’s been married for 22 years.
“She worked in the post library with my first unit commander’s wife, and they actually set us up on a blind date. And twenty years later, here we are.”
(David Knapp, Republican candidate for 121st state Assembly District)
In 1993, Knapp returned to central New York. He says his family’s history of public service was never far from his mind.
“We’ve always been a very active family in the community. My father was on the town board for a while and he’s been the town magistrate here for 37 or 38 years now. I grew up with it with my parents’ involvement. I’ve always been really involved in politics.”(David Knapp, Republican candidate for 121st state Assembly District)
In 1999, he first ran for the town board and has been on the council for the last ten years. He says his best trait as a councilor is his spirit of cooperation.
“We got together with Pompey, Fabius, and Tully and created a multi-town trash district.”
(David Knapp, Republican candidate for 121st state Assembly District)
He says the program was created to save all four towns money on trash removal. He calls the creation of the trash service his biggest accomplishment while on the council.
Greg Long is a friend of Knapp’s and both are past presidents of the local Optimists club. He praises what he sees as Knapp’s easy-going nature.
“He’s one of those guys where he can come into our club in any setting and he can make just as much fun of himself as anybody else. He’s got a great sense of humor.”
(Greg Long, former president of Lafayette Optimists Club)
If elected, Knapp says he plans to focus his attention on four main issues:
- Capping property taxes: Knapp says that the stress on homeowners is immense and he supports a property tax cap.
- Overhauling the allocation of money to schools: He calls for guarantees that local schools get as much money as others.
- Changing the way Albany works: He cites the current budget-making process as an example of something that needs to be changed. He says the process should include all the Assembly members and not just “three men in a room.” The three men he’s talking about are the governor, senate majority leader, and speaker of the assembly. They are responsible for creating the budget each year.
- Creating a positive business climate: He suggests tax incentives to persuade businesses to stay in central New York.
His campaign theme?
“I believe in hard work. The message we’re trying to get out to voters is that it may not always be the popular thing — but if it’s the right thing, that’s what we’re going to do.”
(David Knapp, Republican candidate for 121st state Assembly District)
In fundraising, Knapp is trailing his Democratic rival, Al Stirpe, by about six to one. According to the New York State board of Elections, Knapp has raised about $75,000 — well below Stirpe’s $450,000-plus.
Knapp acknowledges that he is at a money disadvantage. But he says he’s countering with an intense door-knocking campaign.
“It’s not easy, but you have to make an effort to stay out there and keep the community informed. By getting out there and getting momentum, you get people on board. I think people appreciate that. It’s kind of the old style — but it’s what we can afford.”
(David Knapp, Republican candidate for 121st state Assembly District)
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th.
For Democracywise, I’m Matt Rivers.
(Matt Rivers is a junior dual major in broadcast journalism and Spanish)
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