New York’s 24th Congressional District candidates Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Democratic challenger Colleen Deacon made their final pitches to voters in a televised debate Sunday.

In an hour-long broadcast on ABC-affiliate WSYR, Katko and Deacon, both Syracuse University alumni, showcased their stances on different issues just two days before voters head to polling stations on Tuesday.

A Time Warner Cable News and Siena College poll taken last month showed Katko maintaining a double-digit lead over Deacon, 54 percent to 31 percent, respectively.

Deacon, who is also a former aid to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), began the debate differing herself from Katko on her support for paid family leave. She criticized her opponent for not throwing his support behind the program but instead advocating for a system that she said would only allow the wealthy to be able to pay into a savings plan.

Katko rebutted by saying his family paid plan is bipartisan and, unlike Deacon’s plans, does not tax everyone in the United States. His plan, he said, would be similar to a health-savings account plan, when an individual allocates money exempt from tax ahead of the time.

The Republican incumbent then pointed to his experience in dealing with national security issues and emphasized that he made the issue a high priority during his campaign.

“I’ve traveled to the Middle East and … seen (the Islamic State) with my own eyes,” Katko said. “And I can tell you it is a huge problem … and quite frankly I don’t think she has prioritized it as much as I have.”

Deacon fought back his claim, saying Katko should be “ashamed of himself” for misleading voters about her positions.

“For John to say that he has much more experience in this level … he’s trying to destroy my record instead of running on the fact of the issues that matter here in this district and not focusing on what people here really want to focus on,” Deacon said.

In regard to supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Deacon said Katko’s delay in distancing himself from Trump shows Katko’s lack of leadership. In response, Katko said he never endorsed Trump and was convinced that Trump should step down from his campaign after audio leaked last month in which Trump, before filming “Access Hollywood” in 2005, made lewd comments about women.

Katko then shifted the conversation to his achievement during his freshman year in Congress, underscoring his contribution to the number of bills passed in the House of Representatives.

“I’ve routinely stood up to my party and I’ve routinely stood up for what is right of people in this district,” he said.

Deacon said Katko tries to frame himself as a moderate, but added that voters need to understand Katko is not willing to support issues such as protecting Social Security, Medicare and women’s health care rights.

Deacon also highlighted her record of working across the aisle to get thing done and pledged she will continue do the same on Capitol Hill.

“Since I have been working on the ground here for the last 12 years, I fight for the people of this district,” Deacon said. “That is my only concern are what the issues are, the concerns are and what the people of this district send me Congress to do.”

Published on November 7, 2016 at 12:42 am

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