As a woman elected to serve the public in the Chautauqua County Legislature, I am committed to making the county I serve a better place to live, work and raise a family.
I am convinced that our elections should be about selecting the best candidate that will actively seek to do the same, whether it's developing our economy, improving our neighborhoods, or making our government more effective. In addition, our federal representatives should focus on fairness - whether it's the tax code, pay equity, improving our environment or reducing the federal deficit.
While I deeply respect all of the Democratic candidates in our current congressional primary race, I believe that Nate Shinagawa most exemplifies this quality, and is therefore the best candidate to represent the 23rd district of New York in Congress.
Nate has proven himself to be an invaluable champion of issues important to families. In his six years on the Tompkins County Legislature, he has led efforts to preserve funding for the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance. He voted to hire a criminal investigator focused on sex offenders and child pornography. He worked to create the Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium, which lowered the cost of providing quality health insurance to public workers.
He opposed closure of Tompkins County's Lakeside Nursing Home, and supported tax credits for seniors and those with disabilities. As a hospital administrator, he understands the importance of defending Medicare and increasing everyone's access to quality healthcare.
That is why I enthusiastically endorse Nate Shinagawa, and encourage voters to support him for Congress.
Lori Cornell, a Chautauqua County legislator, is a Jamestown resident.
