By LORNA CHEROT LITTLEWAY
GHENT–The 106th Assembly District (AD) race features two long-serving office holders: the incumbent Democrat Didi Barrett with 12 years in the Assembly and the challenger, Republican Stephan Krakower, with 19 years in two positions in the City of Poughkeepsie. In June, Assemblymember Barrett beat back a primary challenge from Claire Cousin, 1st Ward Supervisor in Hudson, 57 – 43%.
The 106th AD covers parts of Columbia and Dutchess counties. In Columbia the district extends from Lebanon and Chatham in the northeast corner south to Ancram and Gallatin, west to Clermont and northwest to the City of Hudson.
The northern Dutchess county portion runs from Millerton in the east to Milan in the west; the middle section includes Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley; the southern tier runs from Poughkeepsie to Wappinger Falls. The Dutchess County population more than quadruples Columbia County according to the 2020 Census.
Didi Barrett
Assemblymember Barrett, age 74, was born in New York and resides in Claverack in Columbia County. She has two grown children. Ms. Barrett has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s degree from NYU. She is endorsed by the Democratic Party.
She is affiliated with the boards of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the Anderson Foundation for Autism. She has served on the boards of the Millbrook Education Foundation and Sprout Creek Farm, an educational farm in Poughkeepsie.
Assemblymember Barrett self-describes as a “lifetime advocate for women and girls.” To this end she spearheaded the creation of the Dutchess Girls Collaborative and is the founding chair of Girls Incorporated of NYC. Other group associations include: New York Women’s Foundation, Planned Parenthood of NYC, the Women’s Campaign Forum and NARAL Pro-Choice New York as a former board member.
Didi Barrett was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election in March 2012. She is currently chair of the Assembly’s Energy Committee, and serves on the Committees on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development; Agriculture; and Environmental Conservation.
Candidate statement of issues:
Didi is passionate about the agricultural, historical, cultural and natural resources of the Hudson Valley and their critical importance as economic drivers and job creators. She has been a longtime advocate for women and girls, LGBTQ and reproductive rights.
Didi has secured significant funding to combat food insecurity, build affordable housing, support libraries, schools, municipalities, first responders, environmental and arts organizations in her district. She is outspoken about destigmatizing mental health issues and bringing more resources to the fight against Lyme and tick borne illnesses.
She is committed to making our region a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Stephan L. Krakower
Information about Stephan Krakower has been pulled from his website, www.stephan4ny.com and the Poughkeepsie Journal as the Columbia Paper did not receive a completed candidate questionnaire from his campaign by the publication deadline.
Mr. Krakower was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, where he resides “in the same home in which I was raised – a home my hardworking immigrant grandparents built as an apple farm…” He graduated from the Spackenkill School District. He is married to his wife, Sharyn, and has two daughters, Gabrielle and Hannah.
Mr. Krakower represented the 5th ward in Poughkeepsie as a councilman for 15 years, first winning election in March 2000. He touts his time on the Poughkeepsie council, “I was a powerful and outspoken advocate for fiscal responsibility, accountability and reduction of waste in government.” He resigned from the council when he was appointed a town judge in 2015. Of his time as a judge Mr. Krakower states, “I was fair and compassionate while presiding over felonies, misdemeanors, and violations. I made sure victims were prioritized and gave people the chance to receive help through counseling, treatment, and rehabilitation.”
He retired from public service when he lost re-election to Poughkeepsie Justice Court by nine votes in 2019, and has practiced law as a private attorney for 25 years. “As an attorney…I have over 20 years helping clients in all aspects of civil and criminal matters in the courts of New York.”
A Poughkeepsie Journal article, 9/13/2024, identified the “campaign’s main objective (is) to make the Hudson Valley ‘a more affordable place to live,’ in an effort to help residents stay in New York State.” Krakower, also, noted that “energy costs . . . as well as utility costs, have gone up immensely after the closure of Indian Point Energy Center, and there was ‘no real good plan on what to do,’ but he’ll help to ‘figure out better ways’.”
Mr. Krakower, also, appears on the Conservative Party line.
