The special election to choose a new representative for New York's 26th Congressional District is just a few days away on April 30th.
There are two candidates in the running: Democrat Timothy M. Kennedy and Republican Gary Dickson. Whoever wins will represent New York's 26th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives where they will help to make and pass federal laws.
The district spans parts of Erie and Niagara Counties, including the city of Niagara Falls, Grand Island, the north towns, the city of Buffalo, Cheektowaga and parts of West Seneca among other surrounding municipalities.
WBFO separately emailed both candidates the same series of questions generated by the WBFO newsroom, and both candidates were given the same timeframe in which to respond.
Dickson (R) responded within the required timeframe and WBFO has yet to receive a response from Kennedy (D).
The responses from Dickson are published below "as-is" and have not been edited by the WBFO team.
WBFO NY-26 Special Election questions to candidates.
Respondent: Gary Dickson (Republican, Conservative Party)
1. If elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, what will be your top three priorities, and why?
DICKSON: "My top three priorities if elected would be to focus on controlling spending in order to bring inflation under control, fighting crime, and fixing the crisis at our southern border that has made every community a border town. I think the reason these areas would be my focus are the same for all of them. They are major issues that negatively impact the lives of everyday people, and they require the federal government's intervention in solving all of them. Making regular expenses like gas and groceries more affordable for middle class families requires reforming economic and tax policy in Washington in a way that brings inflation under control. This means less spending, reforming entitlement programs and bringing the national debt under control. Bail reform laws in New York State have turned our jails and courthouses into a system with a revolving door for criminals. We need to get tough on crime again. The crisis at our southern border now impacts every community in the United States, including ours. We first need to stop the flow of illegal immigration by securing our border. The federal government then needs to figure out who is here illegally, and expedite their hearings, making quick decisions of who needs to go back and who can stay. Congress then needs to get serious about fixing our immigration system."
2. In 2022 the U.S Supreme Court rolled back Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protections for abortion and leaving the matter of abortion to be decided by the states. What is your stance on abortion access?
DICKSON: "The issue is now where it belongs, with the states. In New York State, the matter is settled law, and was so before the Roe decision. I am not in favor of any federal legislation on either side of the issue and will not vote for it. This is a matter for the states."
3. As a potential representative for a Congressional District in which 10 people were shot and killed in a racist mass-shooting on May 14 2022, does anything need to change regarding gun laws in the U.S.? If so, what and why? If not, why not?
DICKSON: "Our country, and community, needs to get serious about violent crime in general. We also need to take mental health more seriously, and find ways to identify and treat people with mental illness sooner. The problem with responding to tragic situations like this with more gun laws is two fold. First, we have numerous gun laws on the books that we don't enforce. Second, criminals don't seem too concerned with following laws. We can't ignore these realities and pretend there is a magic solution that will prevent a tragedy like this in the future. We can acknowledge that many laws in place need better enforcement and many people suffering from mental illness or depression need better resources."
4. Federal authorities encountered an estimated 2.5 million migrants at the southwest land border in 2023 according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Biden-Harris administration called the U.S. immigration system “broken” in a February 4 briefing. Does the U.S immigration system need reform? If so, what measures should be implemented, and why?
DICKSON: "As an immigration matter, the border crisis exists at both the southern and northern border. As a northern border community, with multiple crossings in the 26th district, we are increasingly exposed to the system's failures. Federal immigration absolutely needs to be reformed. I am not anti-immigration. Our wonderful country is the product of reasonable, organized and legal immigration. The greatest generation were, for the most part, first and second generation Americans. Their parents and grandparents came here for a better life. To do so, they found sponsors, went through a rigorous screening process, were quarantined, agreed to work and generally assimilated to existing American culture and ways of life. What is happening today is very different. Millions of people have ignored existing legal immigration pathways and have, literally, just marched into our country demanding we take them in and provide them services. We are the only country in the world that tolerates such chaos. It is unsustainable, but more importantly, it is unfair to millions of American taxpayers that are being saddled with the fiscal and quality of life burdens the situation has created. Congress needs to fix it. First, we must secure the southern and northern borders. We must find who entered here illegally, and expedite their hearings. Then, we need to fix the current immigration system to control the number of people we take in per year, and set qualifications for those granted access to the country. At a minimum, those qualifications should be criminal background checks, agreements to work and not take taxpayer support, speak or learn english, and follow all existing laws with a zero tolerance and deportation policy for those who do not."
5. Do you keep tabs on who donates to your political campaign for Congress and
why?
DICKSON: "I am personally grateful for all of those who have supported my campaign and see me as the best choice to represent the 26th congressional district in Washington. I know some of my donors personally, and many I don't know at all, but I appreciate their assistance in helping me spread my message to voters."
6. A Pew Research Center analysis published in March 2022 found that, on average, Congressional Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years. If elected, how do you plan to work across the aisle with political peers? How do you plan to accomplish meaningful legislation in the event that you’re met with no assistance or worse, resistance?
DICKSON: "I have a history of working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get things done for taxpayers. When I was first elected Supervisor of the Town of West Seneca, town finances were a wreck. I worked with people in both political parties to bring spending in the town under control. After years of tax increases and out of control spending, I am proud to say that the result has been no additional tax increases for residents. I also have a 27 year career in federal law enforcement that has helped guide my decision making process on this matter. My job was, first and foremost, to protect the people and interests of the United States of America at home and abroad. I did so without any consideration to the politics, and that is an approach I continue in my governing style today."
7. In the city of Niagara Falls, 25.1% of people are living below the poverty level, and in Buffalo that figure is 27.2% according to the U.S Census Bureau. That’s compared to 12.6% nationally. What do you determine to be the main causes of poverty in these areas? What steps will you take to alleviate poverty in these localities and nationally?
DICKSON: "We have to think differently. Those numbers are startling, yet we continue to support policies and people that have done little to nothing to change them. Too often, the answer to major problems is to throw taxpayer funded programs at them. Billions of dollars are spent on creating and operating programs intended to help and almost no time is spent discussing what those programs have accomplished. The problem of poverty continues to get worse for both cities. I personally believe that addressing these problems starts with electing people that care more about the accomplishments and results of a program more than they do the existence of the program itself. That mindset change could improve federal spending in a way that could change people's lives for the better."
8. People with disabilities and older adults who receive Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, currently have to keep their assets below $2,000 if single, or $3,000 if married, to remain on this program. Many people with disabilities view this as a barrier to getting married, as their spouses' assets would then count towards the limit. Before leaving office, Rep. Brian Higgins (D) helped introduce
the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, which would increase these limits to $10,000 and $20,000, respectively, but it has not yet passed. Where do you stand on the issue of asset limits for people with disabilities and older adults
receiving SSI?
DICKSON: "Matters like this are all situational, and sometimes difficult to discuss or decide upon broadly. However, in general, I agree that federal regulations that create a barrier to earning personal income are more harmful than helpful. I also don't think people earning significant income on their own, or with a spouse, should continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits if they don't need them. The federal government's role should be in determining where the need starts and stops, not providing barriers to earning additional income, getting married or starting a family."
9. One of Rep. Higgins’ (D) local projects was to improve the Buffalo waterfront. If elected, what infrastructure improvements would you hope to make to directly
impact the district, if any?
DICKSON: "I think the transformation of Buffalo's waterfront has certainly been positive and I would like to continue its progress. I think there is a lot more to do. While our waterfront has significant improved over the last decade, our downtown's renaissance is far behind peer rust belt cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland. It should also be noted that we paid a hefty price for waterfront development, in terms of renegotiating the use of the regional power supply. We need to bring read federal dollars into Western New York to improve the downtown's of both Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and we need someone in Congress willing to fight for it."
