Day 19

It has certainly been a whirlwind these past few weeks. I have spent every day – from Day 43 ‘til today, only 19 days before the election – talking to voters across the 43rd District. And this week, I had the opportunity to debate my opponent.

I asked him: Where have you been and who have you been representing? I ask these questions because this is what I hear from voters as I listen to their concerns.

They want to understand why he is in the lower 20 percent of senators in attendance on the Senate floor. They want to understand how he can say he represents them, yet vote in favor of lending institutions, against consumer lending protections. And they want to know who is bringing their concerns and needs to Albany. Who is protecting the farmer, the regional economy, the small business owner? They feel their absence.

Albany has never been more dysfunctional. It’s ok to be angry. It’s our hard-earned tax dollars that aren’t being spent wisely. It’s our jobs and our families that are in jeopardy. And it’s this region we love that we want to grow, prosper and be sustainable for our children and grandchildren.

If you want someone who consistently votes in support of his party and his banking career, rather than his constituents, please, send my opponent back to Albany. If you want meaningful change – someone who is a strong, bi-partisan voice who will stand up for the people of the 43rd – vote me into the NYS Senate November 2nd. I can’t wait to get started!

Day 36

It's Day 36 of my 43-stop tour of the 43rd District and I'm more encouraged every day that I spend meeting and speaking to the people who live and work in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties. The past few days, I have had breakfast in  Nassua; I was in Mechanicville for a picnic;  and met with Rensselaer County and Saratoga County residents who are my neighbors, friends and associates. Everywhere I go, I hear the same from them: "We are fed up with Albany's nonsense." 
So how is that I am encouraged? The answer is everywhere. It's in the voices of so many young people I meet who still believe that the right, hard-working elected official can make a difference, and who ask how they can help. It's in the conversations I have with local small business owners who, through their frustrations that their own elected officials aren't delivering on their needs, are quick to offer positive suggestions and encouragement. And it's in the help I am offered every day by seniors who are worried about their communities, their own future and the future we leave to their grandchildren - and who will invest time in getting others out to vote for a candidate they know has the same priorities.
So, I am encouraged by the positive spirit of people of the 43rd District. They are frustrated. They are angry. But they won't turn their backs. Instead, they want to work hard to support a candidate they know will represent them full-time, with their interests at the core of every initiative and every vote.
I'm frustrated too. I'm fed up and angry over what's gone on, and not gone on, in Albany. And I too refuse to turn my back. Instead, I'm fighting to clean up Albany. I'm working so the people of the 43rd District have a representative they can count on. And I'm pushing hard so that I, your next Senator, leaves our region in a better, stronger, more viable place for my children and yours.

Day 40

Thanks to dozens of volunteers, my presence at Day 40's Troy Night Out was impossible to miss. There were hundreds of red Yepsen for Senate balloons - everywhere you looked. I had the opportunity to talk to so many residents and business owners - parents and entrepreneurs, gallery owners and artists, health care workers and students. I can't wait to bring your voice to Albany. You deserve strong, no-nonsense representation!

Day 41 of 43 in the 43rd

I started my day in Albany at a rally with Albany Mayor Jennings and others gathered to voice their vote against Republican candidate for governor, Carl Paladino. The afternoon was spent in Rensselaer. I canvassed neighborhoods where I heard first-hand from residents and small business owners what their main concerns were, about their representation in Albany and where they would be, and their children would be, in five or ten years.

The bottom line is, they're worried. They need to know someone is looking out for their hard-earned tax dollars. They want to know why their current senator doesn't stand up for them, on education, consumer protection in lending, and economic development issues in their district. Where has he been? And exactly who is he representing?

I told them, as I tell people every day, I will represent their voice. I'll be a full-time senator. I'm a problem solver who will help get the Capital Region back on track.

Day 42 of 43 in the 43rd -

I visited some small businesses in downtown Troy today. I heard some of what they need to have happen in Albany. And about how their voice has not been represented. As a small business owner myself, I understand their challenges. I want to hear more, so I'm setting up a small business forum in October. Stay tuned for a date.
Later in the day, I attended Taste of Rensselaer County, a benefit for the Rensselaer County Farm Bureau's scholarship fund. The room was filled with farmers and supporters of agriculture. I had the opportunity to speak with many livestock and dairy farmers, including the Michel family of Millbrook Dairy Farms, LLC. They're six-generation dairy farmers - nobody knows the needs of regional farmers better.
With a proven record in support of agriculture in Saratoga County, I am committed  to advocating for our agricultural industries across the 43rd District - openly in the Senate Chamber and behind closed doors - where the interests of our region have been conspicuously absent.
Tomorrow, I'll be going door to door to meet residents in Rensselaer, then at the Feast of the Fields in Saratoga. See you around the 43rd soon!

Joanne and Anthony Criscone of Illium Cafe talk about hosting Small Business Forum in Troy

NY Senate Candidate Joanne Yepsen Kicks Off 43-Stop Tour of the 43rd Senate District – 43 Days Before Election Day

I'm excited to have kicked off my 43-stop “tour” of the 43rd Senate District today, 43 days before election day.

I’ll be out meeting people every day, discussing the issues that are important to residents, business owners, farmers, educators, seniors and working parents. I want them to know that I’m in their neighborhoods, that I’m accessible, so they will come out to meet me.

I spent the afternoon of Day 43 in the 43rd in downtown Troy, meeting with advocates for better, safer, more affordable housing. In a private meeting, I learned more about the city's housing issues and I pledged my support to help clean up housing problems in Troy, and clean up the mess in Albany.

As a third-term Saratoga County Supervisor, I've worked hard for preservation, veterans’ housing, holding the line on taxes through tight budget management, and saving and creating jobs, local businesses and services.

I took a walking tour to see first-hand some vacant Troy properties, problem buildings, and successfully saved residences, and spoke to residents along the way.

I told them, “I've worked hard to resist spending money we can't afford; helped bring and keep jobs to the area, helped grow revenue to hold the line on taxes, and accessed funds that help real people solve real problems."

My constituents know I'm committed to representing their interests. As a strong, independent voice in Albany, I'll do the same for all of the 43rd District.

Roy McDonald says he’s concerned about your issues – that he’s working for you, to support and protect your interests. But the record shows that as the current Senator in the 43rd District, his votes protect the banking industry, not the hard-working tax payer.

Come to Troy Night Out this Friday, 6-8 p.m. I'd love the opportunity to meet you and to hear what I can do for you as your next State Senator

Joanne speaks to residents on transitional block in downtown Troy about housing and employment.

Welcome!

With only 43 days left until Election Day, I am launching a "tour" with 43 stops in the 43rd District. Follow where I have been, whom I have met and the issues of this campaign as I provide daily updates on my visits. Thank you so much for your support, and see you around the 43rd!