O’Connor, Tague in rematch for 102nd Assembly District

For the second time, Greene County Legislator Aidan O’Connor, D-Durham, will face Republican incumbent Chris Tague, of Schoharie, for the 102nd Assembly District on Nov. 6.

The two previously faced off in an April 24 special election for the traditionally Republican-held Assembly seat, with Tague winning by a small margin, 9,156 votes to 8,997.

O’Connor is running on the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality party lines. Tague will appear on Tuesday’s ballot on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform tickets.

The 102nd Assembly District consists of all of Greene County, parts of Ulster County, including most of the town of Saugerties, all of Schoharie County and parts of Albany, Delaware and Otsego counties. The district also includes the towns of Stuyvesant and Stockport in Columbia County.

O’Connor, 30, has served three years on the Greene County Legislature representing Durham.

A fourth-generation Greene County native, O’Connor works as a paramedic for Greenport Rescue, as a paramedic lab instructor for SUNY Cobleskill and is a regional business development Manager for LifeNet of NY Air medical service. He graduated from SUNY Cobleskill’s Paramedic Program.

During his term on the county legislature, O’Connor was appointed and continues to serve as the legislature’s minority leader.

“We haven’t had a representative in the majority for this district in over 30 years,” O’Connor said. “If I’m elected, my constituents will finally have a representative that can make good on promises to bring back tax dollars to our district where it’s desperately needed: to repair our roads and bridges, fund our public schools and finally get broadband and cell service to this area without raising local taxes.

“I come from a family of public servants whom have dedicated our lives to serving our neighbors,” he added. “I’ve seen people in the most difficult moments of their lives and I know that results matter. We’re not getting results from Albany — it’s time to change that.”

Tague, 49, was born and raised in Schoharie and has served as the assemblyman for the state’s 102nd District full-time since he won April’s special election.

He previously worked for Cobleskill Stone Products, but quit when he decided to run in the special election. Tague also served as Schoharie Town Supervisor from 2015 to 2018.

Tague graduated from Schoharie Central Schools and was a student of the Schoharie BOCES program.

He has two children: Sierra, 21; and Drew, 20; and a fiancee, Dana Buzon, 41.

“I’m running for re-election this November because my work on your behalf has just begun,” Tague said. “We have rampant taxes and regulations, a state government that is overrun with corruption and ethical violations and a legislature that ignores the impact it has on our tax payer’s day-to-day lives. I am the No. 1 voice for small business in the state and I will stand resolute against anything that would harm our hardworking business people.”

The state Business Council Inc. rated state legislators based on actions on what it considers business-friendly policy and this year, the council gave Tague a perfect score.

“Since the special election this past April, I have gotten down to the business of fixing Albany and lowering our taxes,” Tague said. “In my first six weeks, I co-sponsored the most comprehensive ethics reform bill in the country, the Public Officers Accountability Act, to start restoring a state of ethics and morality to Albany.

“No one is going to work harder, listen more and get more done than me — that is a promise.”