Incumbent state Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown, faces a spirited and feisty challenge from Christina Cardinale, a Jamestown resident endorsed by the Democratic Party.

Cardinale’s has made several proposals since announcing her campaign earlier this year. The challenger has said she wants to propose a tax cut to reduce the income tax for working families, reduce utility taxes, support unions by ensuring local projects use local labor, reinvent manufacturing jobs by producing solar panels and selling to municipalities with high demand. She has pledged to vote to legalize marijuana and hemp production, protect the Second Amendment and advocate for responsible gun owners, and advocate for incentives and tax cuts for small businesses and farms.

Goodell, as he closes his 10th year on the Assembly, has a similar strong public record. Goodell has opposed additional state regulation that he fears would hurt local businesses, advocated for state policies that would help bridge the benefits cliff that makes it more difficult for those on public assistance to move off of assistance programs and advocated for the state be more fiscally responsible.

Cardinale, as have challengers before her, argues Goodell’s status in the Assembly minority limits what Goodell can accomplish for county residents. But, Goodell has shepherded local bills through the chamber — legislation forgiving a fine levied against the Panama Central School District that has been consistently vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo among them. The argument about Goodell’s status in the legislative minority, however, overlooks Goodell’s rank of Assembly minority leader pro tempore, the second-highest position in the minority conference, and helps coordinate all the debates on the floor of the Assembly. He is also the ranking minority member on the Assembly Committee on Social Services. That means Goodell is on the floor of the Assembly arguing on county residents’ behalf more than all but a handful of state legislators, questioning legislative proposals and suggesting improvements to make legislation more palatable to Chautauqua County residents.

Goodell’s leadership position, even in the minority, gives Chautauqua County residents an outsized voice in the halls of the state Legislature, and Goodell uses that voice to advocate for his constituents. The fact is, a freshman legislator, even in the legislative majority, wouldn’t have such a loud voice.

Goodell has earned two more years as Chautauqua County’s representative in the state Assembly.