Politics with Nolan: Tax cuts headline Rensselaer County Executive race

By Nolan Cleary, Editor-In-Chief

While 2021 may not hold as many prominent elections in the way of national politics, the community at large will still have to contend with some major elections in just a few short weeks. 

In Rensselaer County, where Hudson Valley Community College is located, Steven McLaughlin, the County Executive, is up for re-election next month. 

McLaughlin, a former state Assemblyman who barely won his first race for the position four years ago, has often been dubbed the “Trump of Troy” by his fans and critics alike. 

Having gained a reputation as a conservative firebrand, McLaughlin is notorious for tweets defending the former President and attacking Trump’s opponents on both the left and the right. 

Historically, Rensselaer County has been a key Republican stronghold in New York. However, in 2020, the county narrowly backed Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. 

McLaughlin faces opposition from Gwen Wright, a Democrat who previously served as the former Executive Director of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. 

Robert Whitaker, a political science professor at Hudson Valley Community College said he believes Wright may have a hard time matching the name recognition of McLaughlin. 

“McLaughlin I think, has done a great job of cultivating name recognition. He’s established a strong presence on Twitter. He uses that platform very effectively. He was an Assemblyman before being elected County Executive. In terms of political strategy, he’s done exceptionally well in kind of elevating his profile and becoming one of the best-known County Executives in New York State. For Gwen Wright, I think that’s a challenge because her opponent is so well known. She’s going to have to expend a lot of campaign resources trying to cultivate name recognition in the eyes of voters and trying to build that up, whereas McLaughlin I think has that down. You’re not going to find many voters in the county who don’t know who Steve McLaughlin is.” Whitaker said. 

With the election coming up soon, McLaughlin recently threw another wrench in an already complicated campaign, announcing his plans for a massive 10% property tax cut, a move many viewed as a political play. 

McLaughlin himself can be seen touting the tax cuts in a YouTube ad for his campaign. Whitaker believes McLaughlin’s move to cut taxes just before the election, could help him on Election Day. 

“I think from a standpoint of running a political campaign, it’s a smart strategy. People have felt for years that living in New York, what they pay in taxes is too high,” Whitaker said. 

Whitaker believes that race is more likely to be shaped by local issues, rather than national ones. “In local elections such as these, voters tend to look at how services have been provided, how well local government operates. I think the bigger concerns are what do they see around them in the county. How have they fared with property taxes, how have the roads been paved, how has the county done providing basic services?” Whitaker said. 

Steve McLaughlin’s campaign has not responded to the request for comment. Though initially scheduled to meet with members of Gwen Wright’s campaign during a virtual campaign event, the event was canceled due to lack of attendance.

The race for Rensselaer County Executive will be held on Election Day, November 2.