But Democrats Are Gaining Ground

The Democratic party in Putnam has been running a distant second to the Republican party for decades, but is beginning to close the gap. Since 1988 there has been a slow, steady increase in Democratic registration in the county.

Occasionally a Democrat breaks through, as Congressman John Hall did in 2006, during a particularly bad year for Republicans. Hall went on to win every town in Putnam County in his 2008 re-election, though he will face an energized and primary-tested candidate in 2010— either Nan Hayworth or Greg Ball, who are competing for the GOP nod.

“Democrats have come to the forefront by talking about taxes being too high,” said Lynne Eckardt, chair of the Putnam Democratic party. “It is the reverse of what you would think, but our party has been blowing whistles on town spending.”

For Eckardt, it is no secret that Democrats have a tough time in Putnam County. “I believe our area is a thoughtful, moderate one,” she said.

The Democratic Party is in some ways older than the Constitution itself. The party grew up among the Anti-Federalists who criticized the Constitution for centralizing too much authority in the federal government above the states. Democrats also opposed the urbanist and industrial policies of Alexander Hamilton, speaking out for the interests of rural farmers throughout the early history of the American Republic.

Democrats truly came to power under Andrew Jackson, the general who had won the Battle of New Orleans, and intended to fight banking interests as president. Democrats, even in New York, tended to sympathize with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Evidence of this can be found in the archives of THE COURIER itself, where editorial after editorial excoriated Lincoln as a tyrant and opposed the integration of former slaves into American life.

By the 20th century, the Democratic party was split between a Southern conservative faction and a Northern liberal one made up of ethnic whites. The presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson began the slow unwinding of Democratic dominance in the South that has continued to this day. The change has made the party more coherent ideologically and more powerful along the coasts.

According to Eckardt, Democrats have an easier time winning in Putnam when they call Republicans to account. “One way we connect the national and local party is the issue of transparency,” Eckardt explained. “We expose the cost of these projects to taxpayers. The Democrats in Philipstown have done a wonderful job keeping taxes low.”

Eckardt believes Democrats have an advantage with Putnam voters on quality of life issues. “People want to live in a safe community, but also one with good resources,” she said. “People come out to fund the libraries every year, to fund the Humane Society. The public may not want to see those budgets increase right now, but they are happy about funding them.”

The Democratic party faces similar challenges as Republicans. “The number one issue here is illegal immigration,” Eckardt admitted. “I don’t think here in Putnam there is a party position on immigration. Democrats tend to be more compassionate, but many take a hard line that if someone is here illegally and they do something illegal, they should leave.”

Eckardt is anxious to build support for John Hall’s 2010 reelection campaign. “There may be a ‘throw-the-bums-out’ mentality out there. There is a lot of anger,” she allowed, “but I think he has represented the district brilliantly, and he has a lot of cross-party support.”

Eckardt and Democrats have been playing their role of scourging the majority party well. For the first time in 15 years, the party is running a full slate of candidates in Carmel, the County seat. The party is also fielding Cold Spring native, and former MTA police chief, Kevin McConville for sheriff, making that race competitive for the first time in nearly a decade.

Between those visible signs of success, and longer-term demographic trends that work in their favor, Democrats are positioning themselves for a slow-motion takeover in Putnam County.

“Whenever one party is in power for too long, you need a watchdog,” Eckardt said. “That’s what we are doing here in Putnam, we need to watch every penny like it is our own, because it is.”