We talk with Gregg Sadwick, candidate for NY's 25th Congressional District.
Sadwick is a Navy veteran and small business owner hoping to unseat Rep. Joe Morelle. He joins us in the studio to discuss his platform and priorities for office, if elected.
Our guest:
- Gregg Sadwick, candidate for NY's 25th Congressional District
Key issues raised by candidate during "Connections" appearance:
- Sadwick expressed concerns about "small steps" that he believes are leading the United States closer to communism or socialism. "I look at where we were in the '90s to where we are today," he said, "some of the things just seem kind of crazy when we look back and say, 'Wow. How did that happen?' ... Twenty years ago, if I had gone into a YMCA girls locker room as a guy, I'd be hauled off in handcuffs."
- He said when it comes to the economy, he's skeptical of the government's numbers: "(They) sound great, but when you talk to people who are actually buying groceries ... and they're taking stuff out of their carts because they spent $100 and they can only fill one bag, there's something real going on."
- Sadwick is also concerned that BRICS — which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — wants to remove the U.S. dollar as the world's currency, which he said would be "catastrophic" for America.
- He said our growing national debt must be addressed: "We just can't tax less and keep our spending at record levels," he said. He also questioned why the federal government is involved in initiatives like bicycle lanes in Rochester, calling it a local issue, and has concerns about spending on foreign wars.
- Helping small businesses is important to Sadwick: "It seems like small business, although it's 85% of our economy, it doesn't get the attention it deserves, because people are looking for the big wins and the big headlines."
- Sadwick talked about his concerns about crime, saying that many people don't come downtown because they don't feel safe. He said while certain state initiatives like "Raise the Age" and bail reform were put forward with good intentions, the pendulum needs to swing back. "Does it need to go as far as it once was? No, let's start pulling back slowly. But there's got to be accountability," he said.
- Asked what Congress can do to combat crime, he said one thing is to ensure that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has the resources to get illegal guns off the street "because that's where most of the crime is coming from."
- Regarding Ukraine, he doesn't believe "all out" or "all in" are the right answers for the U.S., and he doesn't want to see an endless war. "There's got to be a brokered settlement," he said. He also said if he is elected to Congress, he would not vote for any more funding for Ukraine's defense until there was "a good accounting" for where U.S. financial support has gone so far.
- Sadwick said we need to be aligned with Taiwan if China invades that country.
- Regarding the war in Gaza, he said the U.S. should continue offering humanitarian aid, but he added: "I think we also need to let Israel fight their war."
*Notes: To hear our interview with Sadwick's opponent, Joe Morelle, click here.
Sadwick was also a guest on "Connections" in March. You can hear that conversation here.
You can read more about this race and others you'll see on your ballot in the WXXI Local Elections Guide.
