Francis Conole announced his candidacy for Congresstoday, joining Roger Misso in the Democratic field for the election that’s still a year-and-a-half away. Conole (pronounced: cah-NOHL) believes he can challenge Congress Member John Katko in 2020 with his plan to invest in the middle class.
“I look at more the difference in our visions for going forward in the district. I have a pro-growth vision that focuses on rebuilding the middle by investing in key areas I think have been underserved.”
Among those areas are health care, environmental issues, and investments in education, job training, and infrastructure.
“I think at the heart of those issues is trying to invest in the middle class and the things the middle class needs most. A lot of those areas I’m talking about investing in have an impact on the middle class and the economic development and the economic activity in Central New York.”
Conole would like to build on Mayor Walsh’s Syracuse Surge initiative as part of his mission to increase opportunities for the middle class.
“My focus is going to be on Central New York. But I believe that the policies that are coming out of Washington, in addition to the chaos and the rhetoric, do not serve our state, do not serve our region, and do not serve Central New York.”
The Syracuse native is a Commander in the Navy Reserves and has served two tours overseas in the Middle East and Iraq. Conole says his military history and work in the pentagon prepare him to make a difference.
“I’ve spent some time outside the uniform serving in our intelligence community. And much of what we do in the intelligence community is we analyze some of our country’s most challenging problems. And I think my ability to engage problems and to find solutions prepares me.”
Conole says he wanted to announce early in order to engage and meet with people in Central New York. He’ll also be spending the time raising money and name recognition for a possible Democratic primary next year.
