Andrew Fagan is the Democratic and Working Family Party Candidate for New York’s 124th Assembly District. He previously taught at Homer Central School before working at the Cornell Cooperative Extension for over 30 years, becoming the executive director in the CCE Associations in both Tioga and Chemung counties. Fagan currently serves on the advisory council for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.
Questionnaire responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
How does your background and previous experience qualify you for this position?
The NYS Assembly District 124 includes all of Tioga County, the towns of Maine, Nanticoke, Lisle and Barker in Broome County, as well as the city of Elmira and the Chemung County towns of Ashland (including Village of Wellsburg), Baldwin, Big Flats, Chemung (including Lowman), Elmira, Horseheads (including Elmira Heights) and Southport (including Pine City). It’s a large and primarily rural district. I believe that I am uniquely qualified to represent this district because I grew up and worked on an upstate dairy farm, studied agriculture at Cornell University and worked for 31 years for Cornell Cooperative Extension, which included the roles of the coordinator of the New York Agriculture in the Classroom program and the executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of both Tioga (21 years) and Chemung Counties (14 years).
I know the area, the issues and the people well. In addition, I served as the interim executive administrator of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, which covers the entire district.
What makes you a good candidate for young voters and students?
I believe in building a solid foundation for everyone to succeed. In my career, I oversaw and supported the Family Development and 4-H Youth Development programs, which helped children and youth connect to caring adults and to develop their potential, leading to happy, healthy lives. As a parent of three children and now grandfather of two granddaughters, I’ve learned that the needs and interests of each child are different, that listening and communicating openly and honestly are essential and that it starts with a true foundation of unconditional love.
I truly care about people of all ages. I know it sounds cliche, but youth are our future, and I have this in mind as I campaign and work toward a better future. My campaign slogan is “Together, We Can Do Better.” This includes young voters and students. I’m also a singer-songwriter. I believe supporting the creative arts is essential. I also have gone through my own coming out journey. I know the struggles of doing so in a rural area with few community resources. I understand, support and will continue to support the LGBTQIA community and all minorities.
What motivated you to run for this position?
I believe in our democracy and have been troubled by the fact that so few people run for office or get involved with politics. Due to the Hatch Act, I was not allowed to run for office while working as the executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Tioga and Chemung Counties. Upon retirement, I decided that I wanted to take what I have learned and apply it at the government level. I believe that there is so much more that we can do. Government should work toward making sure that everyone has access to the information and resources they need to succeed. If anyone is not able to reach their full potential, we all lose. In our current, complicated world, we need the best of everyone and to work for the common good. One way to do this is to focus on the social determinants of health, identifying what is working and what is not, identifying the gaps and working on creative solutions together to fill them.
What do you view as the biggest weakness of the current administration, and how would you do things differently?
The current 16-year incumbent has not been doing the job. People don’t know who he is or what he’s done. He doesn’t communicate at all. Many people have told me that he doesn’t return messages, show up at events and meet with them in Albany, except for a select group of organizations. In addition, there is little evidence that he has brought any funding to the district or to put forth any significant legislation. I will communicate regularly, meet with people face to face in Albany and in the district. I will work with the elected officials and organizations across the district to identify needs and projects that need funding and help them find and apply for the necessary resources. I will help constituents address their issues or concerns in regards to the state government. Above all, I will listen, be present and work together with the people of the 124th to create a brighter future.