To the Editor:

I would like to encourage all registered Democrats in the 109th Assembly District to vote for Dustin Reidy in the Democratic Primary. For the past two-and-a-half years, Dustin has served his constituents well in the Albany County Legislature introducing and passing sensible gun-control and climate-change legislation.

His effectiveness as a legislator is underscored by the fact that after just one term, his Democratic colleagues appointed him to be their Deputy Majority Leader.

Dustin has also served for years as the campaign manager for Congressman Paul Tonko, which generally entails spending his weekends with the congressman, engaging with and listening to many of the constituents of the 109th Assembly District as there is substantial overlap between those districts.

In other words, if elected, Dustin knows a lot about what the 109th constituents are thinking and will be ready to hit the ground running.

His many endorsements from labor and progressive organizations speak to their high regard for his sincerity in representing their interests.

When I first met Dustin in early 2018, he was leading NY19 Votes, a successful grassroots campaign to help flip New York’s 19th Congressional District to Democrat Antonio Delgado, harnessing the motivation of Democrats up and down the Hudson Valley.

We can expect Dustin will bring similar creative, grassroots efforts to representing the 109th Assembly District.

Early voting for the primary runs through June 23 and Primary Day is June 25 when polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.

William Cooney

Guilderland