Credit: Claire Cousin Campaign
The New Pine Plains Herald has conducted interviews with both candidates, Didi Barrett and Claire Cousin, ahead of the Democratic primary on June 25 for New York’s Assembly District 106 — the first Democratic primary for this seat in 12 years.
Assembly District 106 includes approximately 138,073 constituents over 872 square miles, spanning significant portions of Columbia and Dutchess counties, including the Pine Plains Central School District.
The Herald’s interviews offer voters an insight into each candidate’s background and platform. Early voting starts June 15.
Democrat Claire Cousin, 31, is a third-generation resident of Hudson, N.Y., and a mother of three children. She is the first Black woman elected to serve on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, where she currently represents Hudson’s 1st Ward. Cousin co-founded the nonprofit Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition and is active in local governance and social justice advocacy.
Cousin, who is also running on the progressive Working Families Party line, discussed her pathway from grassroots activism to running for Assembly, responded to criticism, and shared her views on a range of topics including housing, affordability and climate policy. The responses and questions have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Why are you running for Assembly?
While I don’t consider myself a traditional politician, the decision to run came as a natural nexus in my political trajectory. I did social justice work for 10 years, accidentally, because I became a parent. I started doing youth work when Trevon Martin was killed. That thrust me into the Black Lives Matter movement and I’ve been engaged in movement work ever since.
I was a part of a social justice center that closed and then reopened as a housing organization in 2020, the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition. We intended to do tenants’ rights work, but because COVID hit we went into mutual aid response and criminal justice defense, because there was so much on the line. While doing that work we decided that there were a lot of conversations happening in local politics that needed our voices — disenfranchised folks, black and brown folks, working-class folks — at the table. So, I decided to run for the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, which has reins over the county’s services that serve the most directly impacted folks. So I did that, and am now in my second term as Columbia County Supervisor for Hudson’s 1st Ward.
In both of those capacities I’ve had to work with Didi Barrett on some important bills, Clean Slate being one of them. We also tried to get her to support extending the eviction moratorium in the height of COVID. The conversation was frustrating, it was hard to get her to sympathize with the truth of the matter, and some of her pushback around Clean Slate was that she was concerned how some of her constituents would relate it to bail reform, even though that was not what the bill was about. It was an economic justice bill giving second chances to folks. It was a really contentious conversation. In that conversation it became very clear to us that we needed to find somebody that represents us and the working-class folks in the district — because they do exist, a large number of us do exist — that could really get these bills across the line. So the Working Families Party asked me to run in 2022 but I wasn’t ready. I felt like I didn’t have what it took at that moment. In 2024 they came back and asked again, and more had happened, so I decided that it made sense to throw my hat in the ring and that’s what really pushed me to run.
If elected, what will be your legislative priorities?
Housing, affordability and climate. I think overall affordability is the umbrella that my priorities all fall under. Meeting the climate crisis; I think that we have to continue to work towards New York State’s goals and that involves bold leadership and lots of community conversations to help people get up to speed with what the conversations have been.
I think I’m going to have to go on a large education campaign throughout the district to discuss what it means to invest in sustainable housing and transition to renewable energy, and discuss what other places are doing, so that people don’t feel like this is some utopian, grandiose idea that is coming out of left field.
I think that the ways to make those transitions are also by taxing the fossil fuel industry and capping utility bills and really putting the pressure back on the folks and corporations that have caused some of the harm. We know it’s not going to be a super fast transition but we also understand that it has to happen. To help people feel comfortable with it, they need to not feel like they’re going to break the bank with the transition and that they’re supported through it. I think that’s our job as elected officials, it’s to help people work through the transition.
What are your top accomplishments while in political office?
Most of the other supervisors, besides Hudson supervisors, also act as the mayors of their towns or villages, so they’re really legislating. Hudson Board of Supervisors still have a city government [ and no direct role in city government ], so there’s not a ton that we can do. But I’m very proud of the fact that I went in there as a poor person that is engaged with their systems and was able to uncover some really big flaws within their systems and work hand-in-hand with the commissioners of social services and the director of mental health, to really point out ways in which their services could better serve people of color and low income folks. We worked really hard to make sure those conversations were at the forefront. We also passed a bipartisan resolution in support of Clean Slate, proving that people in this county — both Republicans and Democrats — care about folks having a second chance after they serve their time.
Do you regret any of your past votes?
I don’t think that I regret any of my past votes.
Why is housing so expensive and what would you do as Assemblymember to lower costs for residents?
I think housing is so expensive because living is so expensive. There are no regulations, and my goal in running for office is to really change the narrative around what affordable housing means. I think that there are stereotypes that need to be met head-on. Affordable housing is not just subsidized housing and that is a misconception that exists in the affordable housing conversation. It goes all the way up to home ownership.
We need to protect tenants who already have housing, make sure that they can afford to stay in their apartments and that they’re not being evicted at the hands of landlords who are just looking for more profit. We need to make sure that there is intentional building happening in communities and that they have a say in what new housing looks like. I really want to get to Albany and have the affordable housing conversation because I think that it’s not being represented, at least not in this district, very well at all.
And there are so many aspects to it. It’s as small as people who own lands being able to build additional dwelling units on their property. It’s about being brave enough to fight for your community to be able to change their zoning laws, so that people can build in buildings that may not have been considered housing. Zoning is a big issue locally and people want support in changing their zoning laws, and I think that’s a big part of the conversation.
How as an Assemblymember would you help to lower the cost of living for low and middle-income individuals and families in the Hudson Valley?
By supporting the bills that tax the millionaires, the billionaires and corporations. I think we need to spread the wealth, and we need to make sure that folks have opportunities to engage in the economy. I think pushing people out of their communities is not how we are going to keep the economy flowing.
Again, affordability touches everything. Supporting bills that help build new housing, that help keep people in their housing, that help people find jobs that pay livable incomes, there is a bill for everything. I want to go and be realistic and really come up with solutions. You can study the Assembly from the outside but getting in there and being able to do the work is a different story, so hopefully in 2025 you can interview me again and I can tell you what I’ve been able to do.
Why should voters in the Pine Plains Central School District vote for you instead of your opponent?
Because my experience most closely mirrors the experience of folks in rural communities. Because we are being left out of the conversation. It’s not just about the beauty of rural communities — it’s the poverty that exists in rural communities and how that trickles down to what our kids are carrying on their shoulders and worrying about. I support our rural school districts and want to make sure that they are always considered when we are having budget conversations and that teachers feel supported in implementing education. I am sure that they are meeting children’s needs because their needs are not being met at home. There is a lot of mutual aid happening.
My mom’s a speech pathologist who works in New Lebanon schools. A lot of the issues that she comes home talking about are disparities with what families are being able to provide, how hard they are struggling, and that the school districts are having to step in. I think that resonates throughout the district. I worked in Hudson as a community schools coordinator for a brief period of time. I took that job because I believe in what a community school does. It really is providing wrap-around services to rural districts to make sure that they have access to medical care and good lunches that are healthy. I want to support all school districts, but in Pine Plains specifically, I want to make sure that they are a part of the conversation.
What would you to ensure that our schools receive adequate funding from Albany?
One of the first things that I want to do is create a task force for administrators and teachers. I think the teachers need to be a part of the conversation. There needs to be space for administrators and teachers to highlight their needs. My philosophy is that being a legislator means that you are accountable to a base of people. If they think they need a budget increase that means that there are needs that they think need to be met.
Even outside of the budget, there are ways that I can help bring money back to the district. I don’t think that that’s even the biggest part of being a legislator. I think that it’s also important to help find resources in other ways such as bringing in community partners. I think that I do have the connections to be able to bridge some of those gaps in a way that matters. So yeah, I want to work hand-in-hand with all of the school districts, identify their needs and figure out the best ways to meet them, even if that’s not through just budgetary goals alone.
Across the country we are seeing alarming rates of gun violence. What would you do as an Assemblymember to enact sensible gun control measures in New York?
In many of the odd jobs that I’ve had to work to keep my family afloat, I was also a domestic violence advocate, technically called a family support counselor. Didi did not vote for red flags to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and she did not vote to support safe harboring of guns to make sure that people are keeping their guns out of reach of children. As a mom of three young kids, that’s extremely important. Both of those issues are problematic for me. We have to make sure that there are protections. And that’s not to take away from folks who are law-abiding citizens, who own guns and responsibly manage their guns and use them for the right reasons. I think there’s lots of reasons to be concerned with access to guns and making sure that the community is protected. People need to feel safe, schools need to feel safe, and we need more protections and people who are not afraid to have conversations. This is a historically conservative district, but it’s not a purple district anymore, it’s blue, and people want to see safe gun control throughout the district.
Pine Plains and surrounding communities have a rich agricultural history. What will you do as Assemblymember to benefit farms and farmers?
I think it’s about supporting small farmers. I think that ‘big ag’ is an important stakeholder in our communities but it’s not the only form of farming and I know that small farmers need resources and support. With some of the conversations around sustainable energy and solar farming coming up, we need to make sure that we are protecting what rural farmers have built. I also think that introducing young people to farming so that we can grow the farming landscape in the Hudson Valley is really important. We need more support for youth programs and school programs that want to help young people really jump into the climate of farming, and put their hands in the land.
There is an EMS crisis in rural Dutchess and Columbia counties. How would you help to address that issue while in office?
I’ve lost two friends in the City of Hudson. One friend was stabbed half a block from Columbia Memorial, and because they had to wait on an ambulance, they died on their way to the hospital. Another friend had an asthma attack literally across the street from the hospital, and because she lost so much oxygen to her brain waiting on an ambulance, she was in a coma and ended up passing away. I deeply understand and would absolutely champion the facts and the reason why EMS workers need to be supported. It’s not just about making sure people have more money. It’s contracts, it’s EMS politics. It’s about really listening to the folks on the ground, seeing what they think solutions might look like, and being able to step in and support them in whatever way my power allows me to step in. I don’t ever want to make decisions that I think are best on behalf of people that are doing the work.
I could say throw a bunch of money so that they can do what they need to do, and then they’re completely unsupported and we’ve just created more of a mess. It really is about bringing people to the table. I believe that there are people who are a part of the conversation right now who are doing the work to find solutions. I just need to hear what they need from me to support what they are considering as solutions.
What will you do in office to mitigate climate change?
First it’s about supporting the bills that are on the floor. The Climate Change Superfund Act is one that I think really should have been included in the budget. Charging corporations that have done a lot of the polluting is really important. I’m a big proponent of storytelling. I think directly impacted folks, like the poorest communities throughout the district, need to be at the forefront of the conversation to talk about the ways that they are physically, mentally and economically affected. It’s not just getting bills across the line, it’s not just signing onto bills, it’s really advocating with people, showing up to rallies, organizing with colleagues, talking to journalists about what is happening on the floor and what could be supported, what new ideas could be brought to the floor, so that people really have an understanding of what power Albany has in this conversation.
People need to be supported. Farmers are never sure of what their farming climate is going to be because there is a climate crisis. They are not sure if their crops are going to do well, they are always hanging on the bend of what kind of weather they’re going to have, what kind of soil they’re going to have. There needs to be way more advocacy around protecting this area’s integrity, not just touting how beautiful it is because there is way more at risk. It’s not hard to be a climate champion when it’s what’s right for your district.
The challenge of the climate crisis seems enormous. Do you think that lawmakers in Albany will actually be able to successfully mitigate the worst effects of climate change?
I think it’s going to be tough, but I think that examples such as [Assembly Member] Sarahana Shrestra, who beat a 30-year incumbent, went into office and passed bills like the Build Public Renewables Act, is a testament to the fact that progressive leadership matters in getting things across the line. The more that we grow the bloc of true progressive champions, the more we are able to get done, especially when it comes to climate change. That is my hope, to join this bloc of folks that have been working super hard on these issues.
We do have a Democratic majority but it’s not a progressive Democratic majority. I think adding another progressive to that conversation will change the trajectory of what is possible. I am only one, there is Claire Valdez who is a very strong candidate, and there’s Jonathan Soto and Eli Nothrup. Adding that entire group that the Working Families Party is running right now would do wonders for actually mitigating climate change and holding leadership accountable for decisions they have not made around climate change.
What would you say to voters who compare you and Didi Barrett and say that you are too young and inexperienced to hold office?
I would say that she was not a politician when she won the special election and there is a learning curve and I think that’s with any position. I think that I do have the experience to do this job because it’s more than legislation. It’s having a connection to the community, advocating for the community’s needs at the forefront of the conversation and organizing colleagues to support the things that matter to your district.
Thirty-one years old is not that young. It’s really not that young to have a say in what your future looks like. Being a mother of three, there are lots of different variables that go into play that are irreplaceable experiences that a legislator needs to be successful. I don’t think that you could even compare somebody who has been a legislator for 12 years with someone who is throwing their hat in the ring experience-wise, because there are plenty of things missing from Didi Barrett’s record, especially when it comes to community engagement.
You have previously protested in front of Barrett’s Hudson office. What was that about?
Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition held its one-year anniversary as a protest in front of her office because she voted twice against extending the eviction moratorium. We had tenants that were facing eviction and needed her support and we felt like it was a slap in the face to, at that moment, not support them. The least she could have done was help to extend the eviction moratorium so people had more time to get back on their feet.
And then, after she introduced the methane bill which would change the way that the state measures methane emissions by polluters, climate activists were really pissed off and so we protested in front of her office to let her know that that’s not what a champion does. And people have lost faith in you as a climate champion. A big concern of people in this district is the climate crisis.
Which endorsements are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my Working Families Party, Caring Majority Rising, For the Many and Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition endorsements because those are hyper-local endorsements that have bases of working-class people that are doing grassroots work advocating for their situations. I think that is exactly what a campaign is supposed to represent. I am building a base of people that I am accountable to and those are exactly the folks that I am accountable to.
What is the path to victory for your campaign?
We need to get 7,500 votes, that is the win number. In the last gubernatorial Democratic primary there were around 15,000 people who voted in the district. So far we’ve knocked on over 10,000 doors. We’ve maxed out our public financing. But really it’s about building a grassroots people-led campaign. We’ve done that. We’re still knocking on a ton of doors, we’re making a ton of phone calls. We have people out three times a week throughout the district. I think winning Hudson and tying in Poughkeepsie will be really important. That sounds like the path to victory.
What have you learned since launching your campaign?
I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned so far is that it’s not a competition. That’s been really empowering. This is actually providing people an opportunity to participate in the democratic process in a real way — that they haven’t had the opportunity to do in 12 years — because nobody has thrown their hat in the ring. Barrett got her seat after winning a special election and she’s never had a primary challenger, and that forces people into a comfort of not paying attention, and not following up on how she’s legislating. I think it’s really been eye-opening to people. I’ve also learned that people are ready for working-class people to have their personal experience count as enough experience to make big decisions, which has also been empowering.
How optimistic is your campaign that you will win the election?
I think we’re being realistic about it. I think what we’ve heard at the doors is that there is far more support than even we anticipated. Of course there are a few — and when I say a few I am not exaggerating — only a few diehard Didi supporters. There are way more people that once we talk about the facts and her voting record and what she hasn’t supported, they are easily flipped. I think that that just speaks to the fact that the district has not had an option and they’re leaning towards supporting a new option.
Is there anything else you want voters to know?
I want them to think of this race outside of the box. I want them to reimagine what a politician is supposed to look like and is supposed to do, and to think of what it would mean to have somebody with an open-door policy, somebody who shares similar experiences with them, shares similar struggles and understands what their going through across the district, and is really a champion of helping people find solutions to their issues and not just playing in money.
We intend on winning but primaries create better candidates, period. So even if we don’t win, I am confident that this race will push the incumbent to do a better job of representing the people. This race has opened the door to reach out to her and be loud about what they’re dissatisfied with and know that it’s their right to hold her accountable. There is a process if you want to hold her accountable to a greater level, and that is a primary election.