Democratic candidate for Ulster County executive Jen Metzger, having survived a three-way race for the party nomination by the Ulster County Democratic Committee, will now have to demonstrate her political chops by selling a winning message to the electorate at large in order to defeat Town of Ulster supervisor James Quigley in the general election on November 8.
Beyond the actual work that can be accomplished by an elected official, electioneering their way to public office is an obligatory component of any would-be politician. Running for office requires skills seemingly separates itself from the actual work that can be accomplished by an elected official.
Political fundraising machines abhor a vacuum. Quigley was just biding his time, timing his announcement to enter the race until after the Democrats had decided upon their candidate.
Tracing Metzger’s job history emphasizes why the committee members chose her, revealing the outline of a serious-minded individual with a familiar brand who has dedicated herself to public service in the Hudson Valley.
Metzger has been a councilmember in Rosendale and state senator for one term for the 42nd district. Now a state Cannabis Control Board member. Possessor of a doctoral degree in political science, she cut her teeth in the public sphere as a co-founder and director of Citizens for Local Power, an organization formed by women to oppose the purchase of Central Hudson by the Canadian holding company Fortis.
Environmental causes
“We really took the Public Service Commission by storm,” said Metzger. “We had organized an opposition, the likes of which the administrative judge in there said, ‘We have never seen such a public outpouring of opposition to a takeover like this, because almost all the utilities in New York State are owned by foreign companies.”
The local opposition failed to stop the takeover. Central Hudson was purchased by that company with headquarters in Labrador, Canada. Metzger notes that the purchase had essentially been approved by the time Citizens for Local Power mounted their challenge.
“We did get concessions for organized labor,” says Metzger, “Central Hudson workers, linemen and women in our communities — I saw in this work there was a real need for there to be an organization that stands up for residents and small businesses.”
Metzger recalls assemblymember Kevin Cahill, at that time chair of the Energy Committee, weighed in on the proceedings. “He was a big defender of consumer rights,” says Metzger.
Organization in the service of environmental causes would become Metzger’s trademark. She chaired the town’s environmental commission and served two terms on the town board.
“Diversifying opportunities for our small and family farms was a big focus of mine,” Metzger explained of her time as chair of the Agriculture Committee in the State Senate. “Because it’s hard to be a farmer in New York State. It’s hard enough to survive as a farmer, and they need new opportunities. Take the Hepworth Farm in Milton. It’s a seventh-generation farm run by two sisters. Five hundred varieties of fruits and vegetables, and they’re growing cannabis. They’re diversifying their crops. They’re growing organically. They’re growing regeneratively, and they are just a model in terms of their treatment of their farm workers.”
Metzger is cognizant of the intersection where opportunity meets wealth and race and finds the results wanting. She is unsparing in her appraisal.
Cannabis management
“Weed should have never been criminalized,” she says. “We have the facts to show that black and brown communities use cannabis in equal amounts as white folks do, but are many times more likely to have been arrested for their use. Nationally, four times as likely to be arrested and have a conviction. And you know, in New York City, it’s more like 20 times as much as white people.
Metzger presently serves as one of five board members responsible for creating and overseeing the Office of Cannabis Management, a new state agency.
“We’re on our way to over 200 employees,” says Metzger, “and we’re in this incredibly unique and exciting position to create this industry that will be grounded in principles of equity, public health and sustainability. As I’m doing this work, I’m always struck that we should we should be approaching all economic development in a way that supports and reinforces our values, right? It shouldn’t just be cannabis, We should be looking through everything with an equity lens, through a sustainability lens. And, you know, that kind of speaks broadly to my vision for the county.”
The housing market
The housing crisis facing residents of Ulster County has not escaped Metzger’s notice.
“There’s literally zero vacancy rates in a number of communities, and that’s because, at least in part, because of short-term rentals That’s one of the few root causes that we can control.
“The fact that people want to move to Ulster County puts upward pressure on home prices, which of course also has positive impacts for our economy, and there’s no question that the Airbnb market has its place. I have neighbors for whom life is survivable in Ulster County because they’re able to make some money from short-term rentals to supplement their income. But we have to address the vagaries of that market.
“Increasingly, private equity is getting into the real-estate market buying up housing, able to pay $100,000 or more easily than any resident possibly could. So, you know, we need to do the work to assess how much of our housing market is actually not owned by natural persons. In my mind, houses are to be owned by people, not by an LLC, not by companies, not by private equity. And that’s something that we can address. I’ve already had conversations with senator Michelle Hinchey about this.”
Deep roots here
A press release from the campaign claims that Ulster County Vet2Vet mental-health program was established with funding Metzger secured, as well as touting equipment purchased for local EMS and fire departments. The release goes on to tout her efforts in energy-efficient street lighting, stormwater bioretention, and rail-trail improvements.
“I was the leading advocate of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which we passed while I was in the State Senate,” she says. “If we stay on target to meet our emissions goals, we will see a net increase of almost 180,000 jobs across the state in every region by 2030. We can be a model statewide of how to lead in this area and demonstrate all the benefits in job creation in public health, because the sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the combustion of fossil fuels, produces all of these co-pollutants that are killing people, damaging them causing asthma, especially in poor communities.
“So we have an opportunity to improve public health, create jobs, and have real energy independence and security because we’re using the free resources of the sun. And we don’t have to be dependent on these giant oil oligopolies. If we care about our children and the future of the planet, it cannot just be business as usual. Literally, this is the moment.”
Metzger says Ulster County is her home. “We’ve raised our children here. We have deep roots here. And I’ve devoted my life to public service here,” she says. “We face a lot of challenges right now. That can feel incredibly daunting. We face a climate crisis. We face a major housing affordability crisis. We face mental-health and addiction crises and you know, too many people are without the economic opportunities that they need.”
This is her message. The voters will have to decide for themselves a month from now whether it will be a winning message.
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