Meet Jill Lochner - again - she promises to do the right thing
Downtown will be busy Friday morning with Glens Falls playing in the state tournament
It has been almost a year since I introduced you to Jill Lochner.
You probably don't remember.
You've probably forgotten about how this mother of four with no government experience jumped into the political arena and challenged Rep. Elise Stefanik as a fellow Republican who believes in conservative values and serving regular people struggling to get by.
There hasn't been a week since I published that interview where I haven't heard someone tell me that Rep. Stefanik no longer represents their values, their morality or their way of thinking.
But there is no other choice, they tell me.
Actually there is - Jill Lochner.
I pointed out last April she has no money, no staff and no real plan.
But she did promise this: “I’m going to come out of this with my morality intact. Even if I lose, I’ve been involved, done the right thing and will be able to hold my head up. It is important to do it the right way.”
She sent out emails to every Republican committee chair in the 21st Congressional District when she started.
Only two, bothered to answer, and they were not encouraging.
Lochner lent her campaign $5,000 to get started. That's still her war chest.
I'd like to tell you there are an army of Lochner volunteers knocking on doors, getting out her message and trying to get her on the ballot, but that is not the case.
When I ask her how many are gathering signatures to get her on the primary ballot, she seems embarrassed and doesn't want to say.
She needs 1,250 signatures to get on the ballot, but admits it is probably twice that after legal challenges. Yeah, legal challenges. This is the big leagues of congressional politics.
It doesn't seem like a lot when you have seasoned political volunteers who've done this before, but it is a lot when it is just Jill and a few of her friends, but she says they are on track to get it done.
I ask her about what she has learned over the past year.
"Politics is..." and Lochner pauses.
She is choosing her words carefully, now.
"It's been eye-opening just how hard it is to get in there if you are an outsider," Lochner said. "The whole system is set up that way, so it is difficult to get into the little club unless they have found you or approved of you. It's all set up to keep you out."
That's for both parties.
We all like to think anyone can run for Congress and win.
That's a fantasy.
When I ask Lochner about the mood of the district, she says "Lots of people are disgusted with Elise Stefanik, I can tell you that for sure. They have given up hope of having it any other way."
Lochner usually has to explain why she needs signatures to get on the ballot and people - many of whom support Stefanik - are supportive of having a choice.
"It's not like people want my thoughts on a specific issue," Lochner said. "Mostly people ask where I stand on Trump."
I can answer that from her response in the first interview a year ago where she regularly used words like "doing the right thing."
We have not heard that from Republicans lately.
"I am coming out against the insults and the lies," she told me last April. That tells you all you need to know.
Because you have to remember, Jill Lochner is a Republican with an old-fashioned message.
She has been good at pointing out Stefanik’s flaws on social media, but I doubt many see those posts.
She still supports democracy and not one Republican committee county chair would meet with her.
That tells you something about their backbone.
That tells you something about their morality, too.
Jill Lochner is not going to beat Elise Stefanik in the Republican primary.
That is the brutal reality of a system designed to return incumbents to office year after year after year.
Jill Lochner loaned her campaign $5,000.
Stefanik has millions.
Stefanik has a staff.
Stefanik does television commercials and has a half-million followers on X, although I doubt many are from her district.
How do you compete with that?
All Jill Lochner does is promise to do the right thing.
State tournament
If you are wondering why all the people are downtown Friday morning it's because unbeaten Glens Falls (25-0) will be playing Maine-Endwell in the Class A semifinals of the state basketball tournament at 9 a.m.
This is a special team and you might want to go into work a little late to check them out.
Glens Falls last won the state championship in 2019.
North Warren will be in the state tourney for the second straight year and play Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in the Class D semifinals.
Stillwater defeated Woodlands last night and plays for the Class B state championship against Marcellus at 5:15 p.m.
Cambridge mascot
According to the Eagle-Press in Cambridge, choosing a new mascot has been elusive for Cambridge Central School.
Student leaders had been working on suggestions for the new mascot and garnered 144 responses to a student survey where "Tigers" was the overwhelming choice with 52.6 of the vote. Eagles, Wolves and Owls all received 10 percent or less of the vote.
But before making a final decision, the Board of Education said it would survey the community.
It must decide on a mascot by the end of the year.
ATF summer lineup
If you missed the rundown on Adirondack Theater Festival's summer lineup for this year, you might want to check ATF's Producing Artistic Director Miriam Weisfeld's interview on Look TV.
Hometown Teams
If you are downtown this weekend to see some of the state tournament basketball action, you might want to consider visiting the Chapman Museum's "Hometown Teams" exhibit. While it doesn't flush out the rich history of hoops in Glens Falls, it does address hockey, baseball and football and is worth a look.
The Chapman is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. It is located at 348 Glen Street and is just a five-minute walk from the Cool Insuring Arena.
More great feedback
It's been great to see all the feedback for The Front Page over the past month.
We received the above endorsement from a small group in the North Country. It is a reminder that digital journalism has a reach far behind the regular boundaries of the past.
It's great to see the folks in Potsdam/Canton area reading us and supporting our work.
Spread the word about The Front Page.
Crandall Library events
The Crandall Public Library is hosting two events this spring to promote the concept of zero waste in the community: an interactive plastics workshop for high school students (by invitation) on Thursday March 21 and a Repair Cafe for the public at the end of April. Stay tuned.
Junk folder
One reader recently told us about suddenly not getting this newsletter. When she checked, she found the newsletter in the "junk" folder of her computer.
It's something to remember if you suddenly stop receiving The Front Page.
Jon Stewart clip
It has been great to see Jon Stewart back on The Daily Show on Monday nights.
He had a great segment this past week about Trump supporters who believe they are being patriotic while supporting a dictatorship.
Stewart set them straight by reminding them what side they would have been on during the Revolutionary War.
You should check it out.
I wish Jill luck. It is frustrating that money controls our system to the point that people in power remain in power not because they represent their constituents but because they represent their highest paying donors. We are seeing this in so many areas of our government at this point. The voters need to control who gets elected- not the rich.
thank you for highlighting Stefanik's hypocrisy, which I believe she has done before, in claiming credit for funding that helps our area on bills she actually voted no on...in this case the IRA.
I do want to say that it is worth running for something. A good friend's daughter just won first woman Mayor of Burlington on the Progressive ticket. It took a great deal of grassroots organizing and support for Emma to win. Also there is a possible democratic woman candidate to take on Stefanik whom I am anticipating with enthusiasm. You are doing a great job of bringing these issues to our attention.