MAYVILLE – A local man is making county history this election as the first ever local candidate on the ballot as a Libertarian.
Gerrit Cain was endorsed by the Chautauqua County Libertarian Party at its April convention. The state party then certified and endorsed Cain’s candidacy.
The Libertarian Party secured statewide ballot access in 2018 because gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe received almost 80,000 votes state-wide.
Cain said he wants to reduce the size and cost of county government.
“My campaign will focus on reducing the size and cost of government and increasing the ability of individuals and businesses to grow and innovate. Despite the burden of State regulations and mandates, I believe the county can do more to hold the line and even reduce taxes by finding new ways to fund and facilitate projects in the county,” Cain said. “I believe there is still a good chunk of unnecessary spending we can eliminate from the county budget.”
Cain said zoning and permitting laws need to be more uniform from town to town and “favor entrepreneurship, business growth, and personal freedom.”
“I would also like to use technology and social media to engage and keep voters in the county informed on the issues of the Legislature.
This race is bigger than a single county district. It has potential to be a historic starting point for a much need shift in the political landscape at all levels of government from a broken two-party system to one where there is a viable third party with fresh innovative ideas,” he said.
“I am currently the Secretary of the Chautauqua County Libertarian Party. I worked hard for the Sharpe campaign in 2018, collecting ballot petition signatures, organizing speaking events for Mr. Sharpe, and bringing awareness to the new party,” Cain told WNYNewsNow.
Cain grew up in Randolph, attended Jamestown Community College and graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2004. For the last decade he has been raising a family and working as a quality technician in a successful beverage manufacturing facility in Chautauqua County.
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