Meet The Candidate: Michael Parietti For Congress In NY17

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - New Yorkers will choose their representatives for U.S. Congress Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Michael Parietti is seeking election to the seat being vacated by longtime Rep. Nita Lowey, who is retiring. He has the Serve America Movement Party line on the ballot. His opponents are Democrat Mondaire Jones, Republican Maureen McArdle-Schulman, Conservative Yehudis Gottesfeld and Independent Josh Eisen.

The district covers Rockland County and most of central and northwestern Westchester.

Parietti, 53, went to the United States Military Academy at West Point after graduating from Suffern High School. He also earned a master's degree in biotechnology from Penn State. An infantry officer, platoon leader and company Executive officer in the 10th Mountain Division, Airborne Ranger qualified, he retired as a Captain. An entrepreneur, he has been the primary caregiver for his mother. He has served on the Rockland County Planning Board for the past six years.

Campaign website: www.mikeinthehouse.com

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Michael Parietti:

Why are you seeking elective office?

Local corruption and national dysfunction. I intend to bring my first hand experience with local corruption and malfeasance down to Washington with the goal of finding other legislators from around the country with related concerns to form a moderate caucus or coalition, who will vote together to enact reforms that will safeguard local communities against the corrosive influence of special interests. This moderate caucus could also act to temper extreme impulses from either end of the political spectrum resulting in less division, dysfunction and gridlock at the national level.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

On the local level in the lower Hudson valley, it is the danger posed to a free and open society when radical religion is allowed to run amok with impunity. This is unraveling our neighborhoods and communities and making a mockery out of our system. I intend to bring my extensive first hand experience fighting local corruption down to Congress, where I will spread awareness of the difficulties we are facing and find allies who can help us rectify the situation from the perspective of the federal level.

On the national level the most pressing issue we have is the polarization of our politics into feuding camps on the far right and the far left that fuels vitriol, division and dysfunction. My objective in Congress is the formation of a moderate caucus of legislators from both major parties who will work together to craft balanced, common sense legislation that will help move our communities and our country forward.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only true moderate in this race, which puts me well within the mainstream political sentiment of the 17th district, much more so than any of the other candidates who are either well to the left or right of center. The 17th district, which encompasses all of Rockland County and a significant portion of Westchester, has traditionally been a moderate, suburban, voice in Congress. If elected I am the only candidate who will ensure that tradition will live on.
Another important difference is that I am only accepting campaign donations from private citizens who live in the 17th congressional district, nor am I accepting any donations from political action committees (PACs). I am the only candidate who is refusing to accept campaign donations from people who live outside the 17th district. This allows me to go down to Congress and vote in the best interest of the 17th district beyond the reach of any special interests or particular lobbies.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

As an open minded, moderate, independent with centrist political instincts and common sense values I tend to favor balanced, well thought through solutions to any given problem. I am intellectually curious and I always want to hear the reasoning and arguments from all sides of any issue. I have found that there are usually very persuasive people on both sides of any position , all with well reasoned logic to back up what they believe in. I think it is best to give them all a fair and thorough hearing before taking your own position or proposing legislation.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My diversity of work and life experience in athletics, the military, the pharmaceutical industry, as a small business entrepreneur and grass roots activism on the local level, give me the broad insight into human nature and a keen understanding of what makes the world go round to be an effective and innovative representative in Congress.

One of my proudest accomplishments is my work over over nearly two decades to help organize the Preserve vote, which acts as a counterweight to the Chassidic Bloc vote in Rockland County. Preserve is a diverse coalition of people from every ethnicity, religious faith, economic class and ideological belief who set aside their differences to unite their vote behind candidates who will act in the best interest of the greater good. Preserve is now a potent force at the ballot box at many levels of government.

I have served as the primary care giver for my elderly mother for the past six years. This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding assignments I've ever had and taught me volumes about the need for compassion and companionship in our daily lives.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Do not bend to the will of what others want for you. Follow your passion first and it will bring you to your destination.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Throughout my years in local politics and activism, I have always said and done what I believed was right regardless of the personal or professional consequences to myself. I have run for office six previous times, always against long odds and with scant resources, and always in direct opposition to the Chassidic bloc vote.

As such I am the only candidate in this race that you can be absolutely certain, will never court nor receive the bloc vote. The other candidates in this race seem very reluctant to speak out about the local issues that afflict us because they don't want to offend Chassidic leaders and thus lose their chance to get the bloc vote, which could prove decisive for their candidacies. If you want to be certain that your vote does not go to support a bloc-backed candidate, then please cast your ballot for me on the Serve America SAM Party line Row H on the ballot.