John Faso (R) Incumbent

So who is Delgado running against? Incumbent Republican John Faso. Faso has lots of firepower behind him that is willing to go dirty. In the last week, you may have heard about or read about the campaign ad that the National Republican Campaign Committee is running on behalf of Faso and against Delgado. The campaign ad characterize Delgado as a “New York City rapper” that does not share “our values”. Republicans are using coded language to talk about Delgado’s race (he is African American) in this 84% white district. This is going to be a nasty campaign.

That said, Faso is considered the 18th most bi-partisan member in Congress. He also votes with Trump 89.2% of the time... and that is considered moderate, my friends.

Faso has a 93% rating from the NRA, 14% from Planned Parenthood, 18% ACLU, 22% Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and 28% NARAL Pro Choice America voting record. His American for Prosperity rating is 65%, John Birch Society gives him 50%, and the AFL-CIO has him at 42%.

His positions in Congress have been well right of his positions when he was in the state legislature. In fact, he received a 100% rating from the now defunct Empire State Pride back in 2000. He also voted with 24 other Republicans to shoot down a bill that would have banned the coverage of transition-related health care for transgender troops. In 2016 he said that if he was asked to officiate at a same-sex wedding, he would do it.

He supported extending the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act just this year and signed on to a letter urging his colleagues to do the same. Faso is not a boogie man candidate. Most folks in truly swing districts can’t afford to ignore their diverse (politically) constituents and expect to hold their districts.

Unfortunately, in this political climate the only thing in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and dead armadillos (thank you Jim Hightower). Faso has to energize his constituency and get out to vote just like Delgado. With the Republicans seeing the same polls showing this a dead heat, it is going to be a tough few weeks to watch television and listen to the radio...Baca lagi