To the Editor:

When I decided that I was going to run in the 2021 Guilderland Town Board elections, specifically to challenge the current Democratic town supervisor, Peter Barber, I was enthusiastic. We had witnessed a contentious election in which there are still many grievances among Trump’s base. The question is: Do we go back to Paul Ryan conservatism or move forward with Trumpism? Election, Trump versus McConnell, who wins? There’s your answer. This is a perfect time to run, I thought.

I had spoken with many people and when my assistant Alex Foppoli decided he’d rather save up instead of run, I knew it was my chance to represent the people of my town who feel they have no voice.

I was ready for an eager response and coordination effort by the Guilderland GOP for a real grassroots campaign! We could win disaffected voters, even Democrats unhappy with the status quo like the reckless approval of land deals in the town, specifically the Costco disaster that even Democratic board contenders like Christine Napierski raised. On all fronts, we have anti-establishment candidates both left and right seeking real change. So why is the Guilderland Republican party so apathetic?

When we spoke to Doug Breakell, head of the Guilderland GOP, he at first seemed eager to have us run a campaign. Younger, energetic citizens seeking to run in an election where turnout will be high is smart. Only after my associate spoke more about our vision for the town with putting people first, and not blindly accepting corporate money plus restoring patriotic initiatives in the town such as flags while protecting the culture and history of Guilderland, did we run into a roadblock.

To Mr. Breakell what mattered wasn’t listening to the many constituents, but rather running the same yearly tried and true “conservative” in Guilderland that hasn’t won a townwide election since before the Trump paradigm shift in 2016.

Sure, we could campaign on low taxes and “constitutionalism, ” maybe a highway tax, but who would vote for that? This is the platform that people across the nation are rejecting. The leadership doesn’t have to support our campaign, but we were told our team would be involved with the selection of candidates for the general election; however, after repeated phone calls and ignored text messages, that chance never came.

If Republicans in Guilderland really want to win town-wide office again, they need to capture the imaginations of thousands of voters on what’s truly possible in a town with great history and people. You certainly won’t find this running a “united workers party” that mentions nothing serious on its website at all about the top issues facing Trump supporters. It’s OK to have different opinions, but to not include anything at all? At best a mistake and at worst lazy and apathetic.

I grew up by DiCaprio Park. Going to Westmere Elementary and as a child, I’d explore the woods and town; this was my home. As time passed, I saw beautiful woods and forests destroyed and decimated because special-interest groups or corporations wanted the land. What about us — the historic people of Guilderland? Does our say or opinion not matter? Unfortunately, according to the Guilderland GOP, which won’t hold meetings and have had an inactive Facebook page since 2015, the answer is a resounding no.

Call it apathy or incompetence but when both Republicans and Democrats are outraged about a plan to build a Costco in the middle of our historic neighborhoods, you’d think that the only representation of Trump voters as well as some independents would have a strong statement or pushback, but there is none! From the Guilderland GOP, there is radio silence!

Tactically it makes no sense, even if the Guilderland GOP’s leadership didn’t care or wasn’t interested, it would still be easy political points! Democrats control the town and an incredibly unpopular measure is passed that makes residents of a nearby neighborhood file a lawsuit, yet from our GOP — radio silence.

The Democratic party in Guilderland evolves to what their constituents want … Christine Napierski is in her own words a progressive, and to her credit has gone against the establishment Democratic status quo before. Despite this, Napierski was embraced in most part by the Democratic Party, which is constantly open to new hopefuls that seek to run under party lines.. But where is the GOP?

For a young hopeful seeking to run, getting in contact and in coordination is unnecessarily complicated and borderline hostile. Why is the local GOP so closed off? The donors or special interests? It might not be that at all; however, the lack of transparency makes one naturally ask questions that could easily be addressed.

On top of zero engagement with constituents, the Guilderland GOP seemingly has no social outreach for new or past voters. Their social media pages have been dead since 2015, and if you, a resident, want to find a meeting for our local GOP to voice your concerns, you’ll be relegated to going to Bethlehem town meetings since Guilderland hasn’t had public events in years. Every other local GOP committee is beginning to hear their constituents, why wont ours? We demand better!

I write this piece not badmouthing our local party, it’s all true, but because this town needs major surgery and ,if we are going to win town-wide offices again, we need to get serious. Our people must be put first, their voices heard. This is what our country is built on, the people speaking through local parties and officials!

If we don’t care about voters then what is the point of this? Getting donations? If the GOP won’t put us first, we stop donating and may embrace even the radical-seeming idea of not voting for these empty candidates who don’t represent us.

The people of this town demand a real America First voice to represent all of us!

Ryan Brocci

With Alex Foppoli

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Douglas Breakell, who chairs Guilderland’s Repubican Committee, responded that Alex Foppoli decided not to seek election as a town board member and that Ryan Brocci expressed his interest in running after the petition process had ended for being on the Republican line.