By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
FREDONIA — Democratic congressional candidates in the 23rd Congressional district met at the Fredonia Grange Saturday in an hour-long forum hosted by the Chautauqua County League of Women voters.
Dr. Aaron Gies of Olean, a professor of theology at St. Bonaventure University, currently on leave to campaign full-time for Congress, and Buffalo attorney Kevin Stocker faced a full house of more than 60 people.
League of Women Voters member Marcia Merrins served as moderator for the Meet the Candidates, which recorded and posted in its entirety on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/live/OR-PH6eWQ_Y
Gies and Stocker are both former Republicans who have enrolled as Democrats. They face each other in the June 23 Democratic primary for the chance to run against the U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy in November. Early voting starts June 13.
In his remarks, Stocker noted Gies was a registered Republican up until 2024. That, he said, meant Gies supported President Trump for longer than he did. Stocker said he left the Republican Party in 2015 with the rise of Trump.
Gies, a South Carolina native, replied that like many young people, he registered in the same party as his parents. In his case, that was Republican. Gies said his views changed in 2015. While still a Republican, he had voted for Hillary Clinton, donated to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and later worked for the Kamala Harris campaign.
The last question of the night was the one everyone came to hear: “How do you flip NY 23?”
Republicans have a stranglehold on enrollment across the Southern Tier and in Southern Erie County, where half of the congressional district’s population resides. There are 209,390 registered Republicans, 144,342 Democrats, 14,821 Conservatives, 2,837 Working Families, 19,318 other parties and 132,176 unaffiliated voters or blanks.
The Cook Political Report’s assessment of NY 23 is that it is Nick Langworthy’s to lose.
Both Gies and Stocker said the way to a Democratic victory in November is to win over independent voters who do not support President Trump.
Gies said he’s going to flip the district and plans to dedicate himself to the race full-time. He said he’s been endorsed by five counties, including Erie County, where half the voters are. He said he plans to hit $200,000 in fundraising by the time primary rolls around and is on his way to raising $1.5 million to $2 million for the race.
“I have dedicated my time — over 100 public events, over 30,000 miles on my car, almost a year in the race already, because I have people behind me,” Gies said.
“Let me tell you how to flip New York 23,” Gies said. “You need to get 4 out of 10 independent and unaffiliated voters to vote for you, to vote for the Democrat. You don’t do it with extreme language, you do it with a positive message and you do it with an army behind you. You do it with hundreds and hundreds of volunteers and you do it by working on it full time, by leaving your job and not continuing to work in your job like Mr. Stocker has, and you raise money.”
The latest Federal Election Commission filings show Gies with $54,584, Shocker with $1,293 and Langworthy with $2.1 million.
Gies pointed out Stocker is self-funded and suggested he does not have the network of people necessary to run the campaign against Langworthy.
Gies pointed out that while he was still a maverick Republican, Stocker asked Langworthy for the endorsement for a state office and was unsuccessful
Stocker said he has been fighting for the environment and women’s rights back over a decade ago. He said he left the GOP more than a decade ago. “I was never an embarrassed Republican, I was a maverick that took on the corrupt party bosses.”
Stocker said he has successfully challenged Langworthy in the past. He has held sozens of town halls across the district to listen to what people are saying and for him to spell out his positions on issues.
Stocker said, “When I became a Democrat over a decade ago, my values didn’t change. They just aligned with the party that I belonged to better.” He added: “I would tell those Republican voters and independents why you have to follow the direction I’m going, because it’s in your best interest.”
Stocker told the audience that he was a kid from Ken-Ton (Kenmore-Tonawanda), that when you fall down, you get back up and you fight, and you keep fighting until you win. And sometimes you don’t win the first time, but you keep getting up. That’s what I promise to do for you.”
Both candidates said they were against the war in Iran, pointing out it was raising the costs of gasoline and groceries for everyone.
“I’m running because this has left our working families and rural communities in the dust, and our working families are struggling to afford groceries and gas and health care and it’s unacceptable,” Gies added.
