Exercise Your Right To Vote And Be Heard In Our 2016 General Elections

According to Wikipedia, “A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation’s primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.”

Well, we all know where we will be and how we will feel come November 9, 2016, as the cantankerous and sometimes surreal race for our nation’s highest office will result in either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as our new President. This election, perhaps more than any in recent history, is surely an impetus to get up, get out and exercise your right to vote.

However, on a more regional level and perhaps more important to many locals, the 1st Congressional District of New York will hold its general election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8 as well. Considered a “race to watch” by Ballotpedia, the candidates include Anna Throne-Holst (D), who began serving in Congress in 2015, and who defeated Dave Calone in the primary, vying for office against incumbent Lee Zeldin (R), elected to the House in 2014, and Kenneth Schaeffer (Working Families Party).

Below, in alphabetic order by name, is just a bit of information on these three candidates which may assist voters who have been so overwhelmed by national presidential media coverage, they may not have had an opportunity to ponder the candidates whose appointment may also impact their futures.

This information is readily available, however, we here at Hamptons.com thought it might help to condense some of it for our readers:

Kenneth Schaeffer (WFP)

A Working Families Party candidate, Schaeffer received his J.D. from New York University Law School, and in 2014 sought election to the House to represent the 13th Congressional District of New York, however, he did not appear on the November ballot. Schaeffer is also a candidate for the Supreme Court 8th Judicial District in New York.

Lee M. Zeldin (R)

Presently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York’s 1st Congressional District, Zeldin was previously a member of the New York State Senate (elected 2010), representing District 3, from 2010 to 2015. “Zeldin earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the State University of New York at Albany and his J.D. from Albany Law School. His professional experience includes practicing law at Raiser and Kenniff. He is currently a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon graduating from law school, he received a commission in the Army ROTC as a second lieutenant serving with the Military Intelligence Corps. In 2004, he transitioned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps working as a Federal Prosecutor in the 82nd Airborne Division. In 2006, he was deployed with a paratrooper division to Iraq as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.” After his return, Zeldin unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Congress in 2008, and then established a private law practice in New York. For more information about Lee M. Zeldin, visit zeldin.house.gov.

Anna Throne-Holst (D)

“Throne-Holst has a master’s degree in public administration and international affairs. She has previously worked at the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping. In 2008, she became a member of the Southampton Town Board. After serving as a board member for two years, she won election to the position of town supervisor.” She was re-elected to the position two more times, however, chose not to run for re-election in 2015, opting to run for Congress instead. For more information about Anna Throne-Holst, visit www.annathrone-holst.com.

Remember, in the inimitable words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

See you at the polls!