LOCAL

Tracy Mitrano battling both Rep. Tom Reed and coronavirus shutdown in NY-23

Elmira Star-Gazette

The coronavirus crisis has forced candidates to conduct their election campaigns virtually.
Democrat Tracy Mitrano hopes to build on the support she established during her unsuccessful 2018 run.
Incumbent Republican Tom Reed has devoted his time to focusing on coronavirus-related issues.

The sprawling 23rd Congressional District stretches more than 200 miles across the Southern Tier and comprises all or part of 11 counties, so when Democrat Tracy Mitrano ran for that seat in 2018, she knew she would be piling up a lot of mileage.

Mitrano, a retired educator, lawyer and cyber security expert, lost that race to incumbent Republican Tom Reed, but she didn't hesitate to announce plans to challenge Reed again in 2020.

This time around, however, the campaign is taking a much different form.

Rather than logging time behind the wheel, Mitrano is spending it in front of a computer screen, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced her to shift her campaign to virtual mode.

"We were going to be in Elmira for a town hall March 12. People were concerned so I said 'Let's pull it,'" Mitrano said. "We finished the town hall online. We've continued our 'Tuesdays With Tracy' series online and it's been going very well. For the most part I have remained very busy, just not on the road."

Mitrano, who was born and raised in Western New York and now lives in Penn Yan, faced a grueling primary battle with four other Democrats in 2018 before she emerged victorious and went on to face Reed in November.

This time, she has the Democratic side all to herself, and can focus all of her attention on the four-term incumbent.

In 2018, Reed prevailed with 54% of the vote, despite historic turnout in Tompkins County, which rallied behind Mitrano.

She didn't fare as well in the western part of the district, and has been spending the early part of the 2020 campaign working to build up name recognition in Chautauqua County and elsewhere.

Mitrano said in 2018 her campaign gained momentum as the months wore on, but said she simply ran out of time to overtake Reed before the election.

While the coronavirus has prevented Mitrano from holding town halls, knocking on doors and taking part in other traditional campaign activities, she believes it could have a positive impact on her chances by shining more light on Reed's record in Congress.

"In less trying times, Reed has been successful in feeding on tropes. People are now shifting from politics as entertainment to life or death," Mitrano said. "People are starting to pay more attention. They are more thoughtful about his utterances. Reed can't defend himself on federal issues. He's done nothing for the district. So he dropped down to state issues and hammered on (Gov. Andrew) Cuomo.

"People are tired of it," she said. "It's life or death now."

In the meantime, Reed hasn't been on the campaign trail — virtually or otherwise — in recent times, according to senior campaign advisor Matt Coker.

Instead, Reed has devoted all of his time to use his official capacity to address the COVID-19 crisis, Coker said

"Tom has made the Corning congressional office his second home. One-hundred percent of his work is devoted to helping constituents get through this challenging time," he said. "He cares about everyone impacted by the virus crisis and is working to be sure Upstate New York is being treated fairly.

"Every day, Tom works well into the night with at least a dozen virtual meetings and conference calls with constituents, hospital executives, health care workers, business leaders, local officials, farmers and countless other groups — helping and standing up for upstate New York and to deliver much needed relief for local people," Coker said.

Even though Reed isn't personally campaigning, his reelection team is, and while traditional fundraising events are on hold, the April online fundraising program has grown by more than 250% over the monthly average, Coker added.

For her part, Mitrano said after a long and varied career, she has nothing left to prove and isn't in the race for any personal glory.

Instead, she feels compelled to take a stand for Southern Tier residents.

"I just want to help people in the 11 counties of this district," Mitrano said. "I've made my mark. I'm not doing this as a vanity run. This area needs help."

For more information on Mitrano's campaign for the 23rd Congressional District, go to mitrano2020.com.

To learn more about Reed's record and policies, go to tomreedforcongress.com.

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