Today is the one year mark since my first encounter with Jon Powers. I was an intern for The Journal-Register and had asked Powers for an interview. He was going to attend the Orleans County Democratic Party's picnic in Albion and said that we could meet there and conduct the interview.
My first impression of Jon Powers was that he was just an average guy. He was sporting a Powers for Congress polo shirt, khakis and a smile. All I knew about him was that he was an Iraq War veteran and a Democrat ready to challenge Tom Reynolds. After I sat down with him and profiled him for the newspaper, I learned that Powers is incredibly smart, down-to-earth and he understands the issues affecting our district.
That was July 8, 2007. Fast forward to today and we see a candidate that has received numerous endorsements, backing from all seven county Democratic committees and support from people of all makes and models - Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, suburban and rural.
When I first met Jon, he didn't seem to be "green" at all. He spoke clearly and did not waffle on questions or issues. He spoke well for himself and his beliefs. While he admitted in an interview prior to mine that he was a former Republican, I was able to look by that. The man I encountered last year didn't sound like the Republicans in the 26th district. He sounded like a voice of the people, a man who has plenty of progressive viewpoints and beliefs to be at peace with the netroots and also a man who is moderate enough to have support among Republicans, independents and other parties and ideologies.
Jon Powers is a rare breed of candidate. He is a candidate that you can disagree with on a few issues but still want to fight for. He is energetic, passionate and believes that America can indeed be better. One of the people who can make America better is Jon Powers.
Last July, Powers told me the following when discussing Reynolds: "I realized I had to do something," he said. "(Reynolds) puts his party before being an American. It should be about putting America first. He does what’s right for the Republican Party instead of what’s right for America."
That sums up Jon nicely. Yes, he is a Democrat. But the point he is driving home is that we are all Americans and instead of blind party loyalty, we should be doing what's best for America.
At the end of my interview with Jon, he told me this: "What we’re going to do over the next year and a half is start a dialogue," he said. "We need to build communications and find a balance in this area. This is a tremendous opportunity for change. I hope to help bring Western New York back around."
What the Powers campaign has done is exactly that. Last summer and fall, they started building that dialogue and have created a great rapport with many locals, whether it is in the two large suburbs of Amherst and Greece, or whether it is in the four rural counties in NY-26.
One year later, the Powers campaign has created a dialogue, formed its base and made itself a presence in the district. Volunteers are in every county and the "Powers Platoon" is very active and prominent in every Powers event. (You can join the Powers Platoon here.)
Jon Powers is ready. His time is now. With this momentum and the support from across the seven county district, he will win the Democratic primary in September and defeat the Republicans in November.
January 2008 - Walking in Clarence NY:
July 2008 Grassroots Report:
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