Oct 16, 2026 · 26 min · 12 segments
We're joined by Alissa Ellman. The Democrat is challenging Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney in the 24th Congressional District. Ellman discusses her background and experience and explains how she…
Evan DawsonHost
So what do you think families are struggling with the most in your district, and especially rural families, as you said?
I, uh, the top three things immediately are, uh, the cost of healthcare, if you have a job, the cost of energy is, is just killing them, and the cost of groceries.
I hear it every single day, and I've canvassed thousands of Republican and conservative households in the last three weeks, and it, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor an- anymore.
I went to a very nice neighborhood in Niagara County in Lewiston, and I had people tell me, "I have not been able to save a dollar in two years.
I can't save a dime because th- there's nothing left at the end of the month, and it's because I've, I've...
I wasn't expecting to pay $6 a gallon for diesel." Um, these are the things that people are concerned about.
Uh, I'm not focused on these performative issues that a lot of politicians are focused on.
I mean, again, I'm trying to channel what I think your, your opponent might say, and here's one of them.
If you look at rural northern Pennsylvania, there's a lot of fracking and a lot of fracking jobs.
And if you look at the Southern Tier in rural New York counties, we have a fracking ban.
Now, that's a statewide ban, but that was put in place by Democratic governance.
And Republicans tend to support opening up and drilling more and, and whether it's fracking or, um, other fossil fuels, and that it's Democrats who are forcing us into this narrow energy restriction, and that's causing prices to go upward.
So what do you think families are struggling with the most in your district, and especially rural families, as you said?
I, uh, the top three things immediately are, uh, the cost of healthcare, if you have a job, the cost of energy is, is just killing them, and the cost of groceries.
I hear it every single day, and I've canvassed thousands of Republican and conservative households in the last three weeks, and it, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor an- anymore.
I went to a very nice neighborhood in Niagara County in Lewiston, and I had people tell me, "I have not been able to save a dollar in two years.
I can't save a dime because th- there's nothing left at the end of the month, and it's because I've, I've...
I wasn't expecting to pay $6 a gallon for diesel." Um, these are the things that people are concerned about.
Uh, I'm not focused on these performative issues that a lot of politicians are focused on.
I mean, again, I'm trying to channel what I think your, your opponent might say, and here's one of them.
If you look at rural northern Pennsylvania, there's a lot of fracking and a lot of fracking jobs.
And if you look at the Southern Tier in rural New York counties, we have a fracking ban.
Now, that's a statewide ban, but that was put in place by Democratic governance.
And Republicans tend to support opening up and drilling more and, and whether it's fracking or, um, other fossil fuels, and that it's Democrats who are forcing us into this narrow energy restriction, and that's causing prices to go upward.
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