SCOPE‘s Members’ Meeting

On April 30^th, 100 attendees at SCOPE’s annual Members’ Meeting in Geneva had the chance to hear speeches from seven political office candidates.  Governor candidate, Lee Zeldin, New York Attorney General candidate Mike Henry and 25^thCongressional District candidate La’Ron Singletary were the featured speakers and, in addition, conducted question and answer sessions.  Also, there were short presentations from U.S. Senator candidate Diane Sare, 22^ndCongressional District candidate Mike Sigler, 131^st New York District Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan and 130^th New York District Assemblyman Brian Manktelow. 

In several ways, all seven candidates expressed support for the 2nd Amendment and defending civilian gun ownership. 

As a long-time police officer and former Rochester Police Chief, La’Ron Singletary had the most first-hand experience with the effects of the anti-2^nd Amendment movements and highlighted several negative results from it.  He was especially critical of the “Defund the Police” movement and its negative effect on minority communities.  Singletary also expressed his admiration for Governor DeSantis work on the Covid epidemic.  He also said he was pro-life and that late term abortion was “unthinkable”.  Singletary wants to return “checks and balances” to D.C.   

Attorney General candidate Mike Henry blasted current Attorney General Letitia James as a grandstander who did not believe in law enforcement.  He said law abiding citizens with guns are not the problem.  Henry came firmly down against bail reform and letting non-citizens vote as the latter would diminish the votes of citizens.  He believes that crime is the biggest problem facing New Yorkers and that opening the southern border to fentanyl traffickers will make it worse. Mike added that he would work with I.C.E. on immigration.  Henry covered a number of topics in two question and answer sessions. 

Lee Zeldin was a last minute drop in to the meeting and he covered a variety of topics.  He condemned gun free zones as they are targets for criminals and criticized the use of emotional responses to tragedies for political purposes.  He promised to fire District Attorneys who do not enforce the law, in particular, Manhattan’s Alvin Bragg, and also to repeal the so-called “Bail Reform”.  Zeldin condemned the fear mongering against hydro-fracking.  He is in favor of voter ID.

Four candidates were recognized from the audience and they each spoke briefly.  All four expressed their support for the 2^nd Amendment in their comments.  The four candidates were:

• Diane Sare is an independent candidate for U.S. Senator to run against Chuck Schumer.  She must get 45,000 voters’ signatures to get on the November ballot.

• Mike Sigler is a Republican candidate in a new 22^nd Congressional District. He will face an opponent in a Republican primary.  There are multiple Democrat candidates in their primary.

• Jeff Gallahan and Brian Manktelow are both sitting New York Assemblymen seeking reelection on the Republican ticket. They have to deal with newly redrawn districts but they are not impacted by the current court case on redistricting.  Manktelow’s new district includes Wayne, Cayuga and Oswego Counties.  Gallahan’s new district includes Yates and Seneca Counties.

Various candidates warned about the disastrous one-party rule in New York and the need for voter turnout in November, in order to change that.  As an example of the dangers one-party ruling in its own interests and not the interests of the people of New York, they pointed out the New York Senate and Congressional maps that were so partisan that they were overturned by the courts.

The current court case, which threw out the redistricting map signed by Kathy Hochul, will impact Singletary and Sigler as they will not know what counties are in their districts until the courts decide on a newly redrawn map. Sigler’s district was slated to include parts of Tompkins, Cortland, Cayuga, Seneca, Madison and Onondaga County.  Singletary’s district was slated to include Monroe County and a bit of Ontario County.

A presentation was made by Jack Prendergast and Jim Tuttle about the SCOPE annual banquet that will be held at Batavia Downs on September 17^th.

SCOPE had invited Singletary’s and Henry’s likely Democrat opponents to also be featured speakers but they did not respond.  Only two days earlier, Zeldin had asked to drop in.