Dan Norton is a Democratic candidate for the 123rd Assembly District. Norton is a partner at the law firm Hinman, Howard and Kattel, specializing in commercial litigation. Norton is a graduate of the University at Albany and Cornell Law School. He also serves as a board member at Broome County Habitat for Humanity, Tri-Cities Opera and WSKG.
Questionnaire responses have been edited lightly for clarity.
How does your background and previous experience qualify you for this position?
My background and experience as a parent, attorney and longtime community volunteer qualify me to serve as assemblymember.
As a parent, I recognize that my actions have an impact on more people than just me, and I am prepared to fight for a better future for the next generation.
As an attorney with more than 17 years of experience in this community, I have developed an understanding of how policies turn into law, and how law impacts individuals, families and employers alike.
Finally, I am a longtime community volunteer. I have coached the Maine-Endwell Mock Trial Team for the past 18 years, and I have coached my children’s sports teams as well. I have also served on the board of directors at various not-for-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, WSKG and the Tri-Cities Opera. These experiences have shown me the challenges we face in this community and how we can overcome these challenges through collective action.
What makes you a good candidate for young voters and students?
I am a good candidate for young voters and students because I am committed to securing a future where we can all thrive. One where affordable housing is available to people at all income levels, where working families have access to childcare and healthcare, where the rights of our immigrant neighbors are protected and where we have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.
What motivated you to run for this position?
I am running for New York State Assembly because I want to live in a Broome County where the cost of living is affordable, where our fundamental freedoms are protected and where we have modern infrastructure.
What do you view as the biggest weakness of the current administration, and how would you do things differently?
The biggest weakness of the current administration is that it is maximizing personal profit in the short term over society-wide benefit in the long term. This can be seen in the current administration’s approach to things as trivial as the paint in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and in things as critical as Medicaid and SNAP benefits.