To the Editor:

Who is running in the upcoming race for New York State Senate District 46?

Normally, it’s difficult enough for voters to keep track of the candidates for local seats. I believe it’s doubly hard this year.

This seat is open; George Amedore is not pursuing another term as our senator. But, the Republican-backed candidate, Richard Amedure, has such a similar last name, that even my daughter initially believed Mr. Amedore was running again.

To be clear, Mr. Amedure is not the incumbent — he’s a first-time candidate. That his campaign literature/signs use a design that is virtually identical to that of Mr. Amedore’s previous campaigns, except for a “u” in place of the “o” in the spelling is an indication that confusing voters is Mr. Amedure’s intention.

The Altamont Enterprise published a side-by-side comparison of the platforms of all the candidates in the Oct. 20 issue, and I urge readers to look at that issue to help distinguish the platforms of the candidates. In addition, please view the candidates’ forum for New York State Senate District 46 sponsored by the Albany County League of Women Voters, which was very helpful for me. One gets to see and hear the candidates’ responses to impartial questions. Voters can view this Forum, which originally aired on October 13, by going to the LWVAC YouTube channel on your cell phone or computer.

I believe Michelle Hinchey was persuasive and impressive in the candidates’ forum. Her positions on issues ranging from economic development to preserving family farms reflect careful study of the issues,  talking to the voters, and being prepared for the office.

I am concerned about recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and getting proper funding for our schools as they face severely reduced budgets. Michelle’s plans for increasing revenue while making sure that the tax burden is proportionate and equitable is important to me. I appreciate that she is a former small business owner and has had personal experience with family health-care crises, so she can bring those perspectives to the table.

Please vote for Michelle Hinchey to represent us in the ew York State 46th Senate District.

Fran Porter

Altamont

Editor’s note: Richard Amedure responded, “If somebody’s confused, it’s not because we’re hiding behind anyone … We’ve knocked on every door we could.” Asked about the similarity of his last name with George Amedore’s, he said, “Our grandparents are from the same little town in Italy … The English translation is Joy on the Sea; it’s on the Ionian Sea.”

Asked about the similarity between his signs and Amedore’s, Amedure said, “Why reinvent the wheel? The colors worked … It says ‘Rich,’ not ‘George.’” Amedure concluded, “I didn’t change my name for the race. I have a full résumé of public service.”