Can You Bring 5 or 10 Voters to the Polls?  by George Phillips

In the closely contested 2022 New York governor’s race, Kathy Hochul defeated Lee Zeldin by receiving more than 3.1 million votes compared with Zeldin’s more than 2.7 million.

Two years later in the Presidential election, President Donald Trump garnered over 3.5 million votes; 800,000 more than Zeldin.  Had half of the 800,000 voted and then voted for Zeldin, he would be Governor of New York today.

Turnout – or the lack of it – is crucial for both political parties.   The 2026 Midterm election will be decided by turnout. 

Republican voters in New York State tend to be pessimistic, but Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s campaign for Governor is massively gaining steam.  Blakeman did not have a bruising primary as Zeldin did in 2022 and his polling is even better than Zeldin’s at this time, four years ago.  Will Republicans turn out?

Will Democrats not turn out due to the extreme leftward shift of the party?

In addition to the important statewide races for Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller, there are critical races that will determine control of the U S House of Representatives, as well as races for the New York State Legislature.

One of the most critical congressional races in Upstate New York is the 19th Congressional District where Republican State Senator Peter Oberacker is trying to unseat Democratic Congressman Josh Riley.  Oberacker’s 19th Congressional District includes all of Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, Sullivan, Greene, Columbia and Tompkins Counties and parts of Cortland, Rensselaer and Ulster counties.

Another crucial race is New York’s 22nd Congressional District where Republican Kailee Buller, (the former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Agriculture in the Trump Administration), is trying to unseat Democratic Congressman John Mannion.  Buller’s 22nd Congressional District includes all of Onondaga and Madison counties and parts of Oneida, Cayuga and Cortland counties. 

Lee Zeldin won both Congressional Districts – carrying Republican Congressional candidates to victory in 2022 before Republicans lost both seats in 2024.  Bruce Blakeman is expected to win these Congressional Districts by considerable margins.  If Oberacker or Buller win, Republicans stand a great chance of maintaining control of the House.

No one can contest that the Democrat leadership are anti-2nd Amendment while the Republicans tend to protect 2A.  Will Democrats continue to have a supermajority in the New York State Senate and Assembly – which would enable them to override the Governor’s veto.  If Democrats maintain a super majority, imagine if a Governor Blakeman vetoed yet another horrendous anti-gun law only to then have the veto overridden by socialist and liberal anti-gun fanatic legislators from New York City.

If you are a Republican, you can reach the goal of 400,000 or more voters in the 2026 Governor’s race as compared to the 2022 election if 80,000 active citizens could each bring 5 voters to the polls.

Take a moment to think of all the family and friends you know who live in New York State.  Are they registered to vote and will they be voting in this election?  Make a list that could include children, grandchildren, neighbors, co-workers, church, civic group members and members of your rod and gun club. Do you know anyone who has moved here from another state or any young people not registered to vote?  Think about the best way to approach them.  Personal conversations are most effective, but texts and emails can work as well.

Help those on your list with voter registration.

Do you know anyone away at college, in military service, in a nursing home or out of town for work who could use an absentee ballot?

Help those on your list gain absentee ballots.

You might be one of the many Americans who do not like Early Voting, but Early Voting is part of the rules of the game and can be effective.  The Trump Campaign used Early Voting to pester unreliable voters (like the 400,000 to 800,000 voters mentioned above in New York) to get to the polls and he won the 2024 election.

Even if you don’t plan to vote early, please consider urging unreliable voters on your list to get to the polls early and get their votes in. Bank these votes.

We must remember that control of the US House is also on the line here in New York State.

Here are some key dates and information on voting:

October 24th is the voter registration deadline for anyone not currently registered to vote.

You can register to vote through the New York State Board of Elections Online Voter Registration Portal, a similar DMV portal, or by mailing or delivering a registration form to your County Board of Elections.

October 24th is also the absentee ballot request deadline for online applications.

Until Monday November 2nd, Absentee ballots can still be requested in person at your County Board of Elections.

All absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 3rd – Election Day.

From Saturday October 24th through Sunday November 1st. Early Voting in New York State runs at selected sites in your County – one of which will be the County Board of Elections.  This is the two weekends and last full week before the election.

NYS Board of Elections

Election Day is getting closer, and there’s a lot happening at MyVoteMattersNY. Over the past several weeks, we’ve been sharing information, asking questions and highlighting issues that matter to New Yorkers.   If you haven’t been following us on social media, or haven’t checked lately, here are some of the posts you may have missed. HERE'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MISSING DON’T WAIT FOR THE CANDIDATES TO COME TO YOU. Not seeing gubernatorial candidate’s advertisements or events doesn’t mean there isn’t information available.  Every citizen has a responsibility to look beyond campaign messaging, research the candidates, and decide who best represents their priorities. COMPARE THE CANDIDATES WHY ARE NEW YORKERS PAYING 63% MORE FOR ELECTRICITY? For families already facing a high cost of living, energy affordability matters. In July 2026, New York's average residential electricity price was 29.90¢ per kWh—63% higher than the U.S. average of 18.31¢. Shouldn't affordable energy be part of making New York more affordable? COMPARE THE CANDIDATES NEW YORK’S TAX BURDEN—#2 IN AMERICA New York has the second-highest state and local tax burden in the nation according to WalletHub’s 2026 analysis. Property, income, and sales/excise taxes represent 12.39% of New Yorkers’ personal income under WalletHub’s statewide measure. Only Hawaii ranks higher. How can New York become affordable—and keep more New Yorkers from leaving? COMPARE THE CANDIDATES WHICH CANDIDATE’S POLICIES WILL HELP BUILD SAFER COMMUNITIES? Public safety is one of the most important issues facing New Yorkers in the 2026 gubernatorial election. Before casting your ballot, examine the candidates’ publicly available records, statements, policy positions, and reported actions on the issues affecting the safety of our communities. READ THE FULL REPORT GUN OWNERS CAN HELP DECIDE THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK—BUT ONLY IF THEY VOTE Less than 378,000 votes decided the 2022 governor’s race. An estimated 1.6 million New Yorkers in firearm-owning households did not vote. (1) Your Second Amendment rights are shaped by the people elected to office—and elections are decided by the people who vote. Rights are protected by those who show up to defend them. READ THE FULL REPORT 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECT THE TRADITION WHERE DOES BRUCE BLAKEMAN STAND ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT? Under Governor Kathy Hochul, New York has expanded its firearm laws to be some of the most restrictive in the nation. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has outlined his approach to Second Amendment rights and New York's firearm laws, including actions he says he would pursue as governor. Among the positions he has outlined include reviewing New York laws and regulations for compliance with U.S. Supreme Court decisions and aligning state enforcement practices with constitutional requirements.  Read B. Blakeman’s position for yourself.  WE NEED YOUR HELP! AND IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES These resources matter but only if voters see them. Share theMyVoteMattersNY.comwebsite with friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. Follow MyVoteMattersNY on Facebook, Instagram, and X.  When you see our posts: LIKE. COMMENT. SHARE. Every interaction helps us reach more New Yorkers.  With the election quickly approaching, now is the time to help voters become informed and engaged—and, most importantly, to understand the importance of exercising their right to vote.

Cornell  by Tom Reynolds

You may have been reading about the Cornell rape accusations.

On October 18th, 2024, Jane Doe was intoxicated at a party at the Chi Phi fraternity house and claims she was gang raped. 

On November 14th, 2024 – Jane Doe made a formal statement to Cornell campus police, who then asked the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office to review it and determine whether a crime had been committed. No criminal case was brought against the accused.

On September 16th, 2026 – Jane Doe files a civil lawsuit against Cornell, the Chi Phi chapter, her Delta Delta Delta sorority, and others, including the seven men she alleges drugged and raped her at the Chi Phi fraternity house. 

This e-mail is not about the details of the case, which are very complicated.  If you are interested, there are many stories available on line, on radio and on TV.

Since the case drew such headlines, Governor Kathy Hochul felt the need to appoint a level-headed prosecutor not already overcome with pre-judgment of the facts.  So, Hochul has removed the local prosecutor’s office jurisdiction and handed the case to…Letitia James!

Letitia James?

In appointing NY Attorney Letitia James as an independent prosecutor, the Governor chose to ignore that, three days earlier, Letitia James posted on Facebook, ‘What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her and to all survivors, you’re not alone. We stand with you.’ 

https://x.com/RedWavePress/status/2106019752967545340

A reporter asked the governor, “Why did you appoint an official who made a public statement affirming those allegations as fact…?”

Hochul answered, “I have every confidence in our Attorney General to do what she has always done. Look at the facts, examine the record, and draw the proper conclusions.”

In order to be truthful, Hochul should have stopped after the first sentence; “I have every confidence in our Attorney General to do what she has always done.” 

Letitia James is one of the most political prosecutors in the country and she will definitely “do what she has always done,” put partisan politics first.

The same reporter asked James, “Why did you affirm her allegations as fact without doing your own fact-finding investigation?”

James replied, ‘I am not going to comment on a Facebook post.’

Later, James said, “…we look forward to the outcome to ensure that justice is served and there is accountability for the survivor.”  (Emphasis added.)

It’s obvious that James has prejudged the facts and she was brought on to the case to get a conviction, not justice.

If you research the appointment of Letitia James as independent prosecutor, see how often her above statements are mentioned by the media.  I’ll save you the trouble; not often.  The media coverup of the radical left continues.

As gun owners, SCOPE members are aware that Kathy Hochul and Letitia James are the enemies of our 2nd Amendment rights.  Do you believe that “dynamic duo” would handle you in an even handed and unbiased way if they had the opportunity to go after you on a legal issue?

The appointment of James did bring one endorsement, “I fully support Governor Hochul's decision to name Attorney General James as special prosecutor in this case," wrote N Y City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. 

New York Debates

New York State Comptroller candidates Joe Hernandez ( R) and Tom DiNapoli (D) debate tonight at 7 PM

Reasons to watch this debate about NY’s fiscal watchdog:

In the last 20 years, NY State’s budget has grown from $121 Billion to $277 Billion.  It is now more than twice Florida’s budget and Florida has more residents.

In the last 20 years, New York State’s Medicaid spending has grown from $46.5 billion to $112 billion.  

In the last 20 years, combined debt of NY State, NY City and the MTA has grown from $132 billion to $260 billion.

In Fiscal Years 2025, New York City’s budget was $114.9 billion while the state of Florida’s budget was $117.4 billion. $2.5 billion more for the entire state of Florida, which has about three (3X) times more residents. *

New York Attorney General candidates Saritha Komatireddy ( R) and Letitia James (D) debate next Thursday (October 8th) at 7PM

New York Governor Candidates Bruce Blakeman ( R) and Kathy Hochul (D) debate in two weeks (October 15th) at 7PM.

Hernandez, Komatireddy and Blakeman have all spoken at SCOPE events

*Sources:

• New York City Council 2025-26 Fiscal Budget Press Release

• State of Florida 2025-26 Fiscal Budget Press Release

• New York City Department of City Planning Population Division Population Estimates 2024

• U.S. Census Bureau Florida Population Estimates 2024

• New York City Council 2024-25 Fiscal Budget Press Release

• State of Florida 2024-25 Fiscal Budget Press Release

SCOPE Activities in August and September 2026

SCOPE was highly active throughout August and September 2026, undertaking a broad range of organizational, chapter-development, outreach, fundraising, voter-engagement, and event-planning activities.

Key Activities and Accomplishments

2026 SCOPE Banquet: Planned, coordinated, and prepared for the 2026 SCOPE Banquet, held on September 26. Preparations included a site reconnaissance on September 15 and a full rehearsal on September 22.

Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Initiative: Planned, coordinated, and executed the SCOPE Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiative throughout August and September.

NYSRPA Coordination: Met with New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) President Tom King several times to discuss and coordinate collaboration between NYSRPA and SCOPE in support of the GOTV initiative.

Chapter Engagement: Continued engagement with local SCOPE chapters by attending chapter meetings, including the Orleans County Chapter meeting on August 11 and the Jefferson/Lewis County Chapter meetings on August 17 and September 21.

Fundraising: Conducted fundraising activities at the St. Lawrence County Fair from August 4–9.

Board of Directors: Developed agendas for SCOPE Board of Directors meetings and participated in Board meetings held on August 20 and September 10.

Procedural Manual Committee: Participated in meetings of the Procedural Manual Committee, which is responsible for developing a comprehensive SCOPE procedural manual to establish consistent organizational procedures and guidelines.

Bylaws Review: Met with the Bylaws Review Committee to review and work on a proposed amendment to the SCOPE bylaws.

Chapter Development: Initiated contact with Anthony Pittore regarding his interest in establishing a new SCOPE chapter in the Hudson Valley. The Hudson Valley SCOPE Chapter was subsequently certified by the SCOPE Board of Directors in September 2026.

Yates County Event: Attended the Yates County Pig Roast on August 15 in which Mr. Joseph Hernandez was the key speaker.

Executive Committee: Conducted a SCOPE Executive Committee meeting on August 19.

Overall, the activities conducted during August and September demonstrate SCOPE's continued commitment to the organization's statewide objectives.

Protect Your BB Gun  by Tom Reynolds

For those who don’t vote because “they’re not coming for my gun.”

This past legislative year, two bills were introduced in the New York Legislature concerning BB Guns and Pellet Guns; Senate bill S9215 and the identical Assembly bill, A10701 would change the definition of an “imitation weapon” to include “an air rifle, pellet gun, or ‘B-B’ gun” and redefine “gun industry member” to include makers of “imitation weapons.”

Although the bills don’t address possession, the effect of the amendment to the “imitation weapon” definition is that in order to be lawfully imported, marketed, sold, or distributed in New York State, air rifles, pellet guns, and BB guns would be required to have a closed/plugged barrel.  They would no longer be functional to fire a projectile.

The bills did not make it out of committee.

If you think that’s the end of it…

Now, at the federal level, legislation has been introduced by Kevin Mullin, a California Democrat, which seeks to force Americans to purchase BB guns through a federally licensed firearm dealer and pass a federal background check.

The motivation is because one young man reportedly became psychotic during the pandemic lockdowns. He was barred from purchasing or owning guns, but managed to buy an air rifle and used it to kill himself.

Because of this one crazy person, this bill was introduced. 

Where are the priorities?  Actually, gun control is a priority and this is a step to keep youth unfamiliar with firearms.

Perhaps the priority should be government lockdowns since that triggered the incident.

Protect your BB Gun!   Vote!

__________________________________________

Correction to Monday’s email:

Saritha Komatireddy was born in Brooklyn, not India.  Her parents came to America from India.

But, hey, Brooklyn seems like a foreign country to those of us in Upstate New York!

SCOPE Annual Banquet  by Tom Reynolds SCOPE’s annual banquet on September 26th was a success from multiple standpoints. Joe Hernandez (R-NYS Comptroller candidate) and Saritha Komatireddy (R-NYS Attorney General candidate) were the two scheduled speakers, but Congresswoman Claudia Tenney ( R) and Tom Hood (R-Lieutenant Governor candidate) also asked to join us.  What followed were rousing speeches about the problems and solutions in NY State. All the speakers used the term “team” and emphasized that the election will be decided by the voter turnout – and the turnout of gun owners, in particular. Both Tenney and Hernandez drove home the dangers of the Marxist takeover of the Democrat party and singled out the NY City Mayor, in particular, is a symbol of that danger to America.  Tenney summarized, “It’s really about Marxism;” they “don’t believe in our rights.”  Claudia opined that moderate Democrats can’t say no to the radicals in their party. Hernandez spoke about his father being a political prisoner and how his family escaped from Cuban communism when Joe was seven.  He spoke about opportunity in America and what an amazing society we have and his need to “…give back to America.”  As to communism, Hernadez said that, “History is on our side,” making reference to communism’s multiple failures. Saritha spoke about being born in Brooklyn, and how the 9-1-1 attack changed her career focus into law.  Her goal is protecting America and, in her decade as a federal prosecutor, Komatireddy specialized in terrorism, cybercrime, transnational criminal enterprises, money laundering, and foreign public corruption. She spoke about some of her cases taking on leaders of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Mexican drug cartels. Saritha Komatireddy and Tom Hood emphasized the fight against crime.  Both felt that a major issue is the lack of consequences to criminals for their actions; Hood emphasized this as a factor in youth crime being on the rise.  Komatireddy says the Attorney General must support law enforcement and enforce the laws.  Fraud in government programs also was discussed with Hood singling it out for attention.  Komatireddy pointed out the unsolved epidemic of fraud in Medicaid and SNAP programs and how the Democrats want universal Medicare without solving these problems, first. Utility expenses were also discussed.  Tenney pointed out how little of New York’s energy comes from wind and solar and how the lack of Natural Gas transportation infrastructure is a threat to the grid.  She also pointed out at that there is a law banning new Natural Gas appliances and Governor Hochul is delaying implementing it until after the election. Hood sat next to me and we had a discussion on how the Natural Gas ban is hurting the upstate economy as New York residents buy natural gas pumped from just across the border in Pennsylvania.  All the speakers addressed 2nd Amendment issues.  Saritha said she will “…follow the Constitution” and “…stand up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”  That she, “knows the difference between law-abiding gun owners and criminals.” Hernandez spoke about the current Comptroller advising investment firms to treat gun related stocks ‘…like ‘pornography and drugs’ and how, in 2013, the Comptroller dumped gun stocks from the NY Pension fund that he controls.  Hernandez believes that these investments should be decided on the merits and not politics. Hood spoke about the Governor Hochul’s tax and background check on ammo purchases and how it is driving ammo sales into Pennsylvania.  He is concerned that New York State firearm retailers cannot stay in business due to these lost sales. Tenney is well known for sponsoring 2nd Amendment friendly laws and she pointed out some of them.  She also emphasized, as a clue to her opponent’s real convictions, that her opponent claims to be 2nd Amendment friendly but favors a requirement for gun owners to have liability insurance, which would make gun ownership even more expensive. I mentioned to a person providing security that I was carrying and he replied that I was probably not the only one!  When I asked Todd Hood if he carried when campaigning, I got a broad smile. During the evening, several mentions were made of SCOPE’s MYVOTEMATTERSNY.com as well as SCOPE’s social media accounts and the efforts to get-out-the-vote, this November.  Steve Leonard was praised for heading up this effort. Gary Zielinski and Doug Mitchell were each presented with a ‘SCOPE Eagle’ award for their long service to the 2nd Amendment and to SCOPE. The organization Armed Women of America was also present and singled out for praise for their work with women. SCOPE President John Elwood spoke about SCOPE’s support of lawsuits protecting the 2nd Amendment and the positive outcome of one, in particular. As always, the success of the banquet is due to the efforts of Sue Maressa.  Thanks to the efforts of Chairman Jack Prendergast, the entire program came in twenty-five minutes under schedule, in spite of two extra speakers.

Above left:  Gary Zielinski receiving his award from John Elwood Above right: Doug Mitchell receiving his award from Jack Prendergast

S.C.O.P.E. 2026 Annual Banquet Palmyra VFW Post 6778 4306 Route 31 · Palmyra · NY 5:00PM - 9:00PM

Candidate for New York State Comptroller, Joseph Hernandez will be speaking on Saturday; below is a brief biography.   Joseph Hernandez is an entrepreneur, investor, business builder, and the Republican and Conservative nominee for New York State Comptroller. A Cuban refugee and the son of a political prisoner, Joseph came to America at seven years old in search of freedom and opportunity. He went on to build a career in biotechnology, healthcare, finance, and advanced technology, founding and leading numerous companies and taking multiple companies public. Coming from a country where individual freedoms were taken away, Joseph has a deep respect for the constitutional rights Americans enjoy, including the Second Amendment. Under Tom DiNapoli, the pension fund has been used to press major financial institutions over firearms-related transactions, including asking them to explore systems that could reject purchases of firearms, ammunition, and gun accessories. DiNapoli has described these efforts as addressing investment and reputational risks. Joseph has vowed never to use New Yorkers’ retirement savings to advance political priorities or restrict the lawful exercise of constitutional rights. As Comptroller, he would focus the pension fund on performance, risk, and returns, fight waste, fraud, and abuse, and always protect New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights.

S.C.O.P.E. 2026 Annual Banquet Palmyra VFW Post 6778 4306 Route 31 · Palmyra · NY 5:00PM - 9:00PM

New York's lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Todd Hood is added to our list of speakers for this Saturday's SCOPE Banquet. New York's lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Todd Hood is added to our list of speakers for this Saturday's SCOPE Banquet Sheriff Todd Hood began his service as Sheriff for Madison County in 2018. Sheriff Hood was born in Oneida, NY and has been a Madison County resident his entire life. He attended Oneida City Schools graduating in 1987. He went on to attend Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology.  Sheriff Hood began his career in law enforcement with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office as a Corrections Officer and graduated from the Mohawk Valley Police Academy in 1991. From there he worked as patrolman at NYS Parks Police, Village of Clinton, and Town of Kirkland until 1993 when he became a patrolman with the Syracuse Police Department. While at Syracuse PD, Sheriff Hood was a Detective with the Gang Task Force, S.W.A.T. Supervisor/Team Leader, Firearms Instructor, and was deputized to the US Marshal NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. He retired after 22 years with the Syracuse Police Department and then went to work with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office as an Investigator for Criminal Investigations/Homicides. Sheriff Hood became the Madison County Sheriff in January and as Sheriff, he commands a work force of 170+ members consisting of Corrections Officers, Road Patrol Deputies, Civil Division, Pistol Permit Division, Children’s Advocacy Center and oversees a 9.5 million dollar budget.

Hochul Responds  by Tom Reynolds

Yesterday, I wrote that the DOJ had concluded that it was unconstitutional to ban 18-20 year olds from  purchasing a firearm.   I ended by saying that it was doubtful that Kathy Hochul would abide by that ruling.  Later that same day, this was written in Breitbart by AWR Hawkins.

‘Despite the DOJ finding a ban on handgun sales to 18-20 year-olds was “unconstitutional,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) made clear such a prohibition will remain in force in her state…Gov. Hochul used an X post to counter: “Not in New York. No teenager should be able to walk into a gun store and buy a handgun. Our laws don’t allow it and that’s not changing.”’

‘Hochul did not say if 18-20 year-olds will be banned from exercising other constitutionally protected rights, such a voting, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, a trial by jury, etc., or if Second Amendment rights are singled out as the ones that cannot be exercised until age 21.’

And Tom Knighton had this to say in Bearing Arms.

‘If a 19-year-old buys a handgun in New York, assuming he's prosecuted at all, what kind of charges will he face? Juvenile or adult? The answer, of course, is adult charges. He's not a juvenile under the law anywhere in the United States. By that definition, he's not a "teenager" in any legal sense of the term.’

‘It's absolute BS to claim otherwise, but Hochul's decision to refer to them as such isn't an accident; it's calculated to make it seem like she's the rational one. Never mind that "teenagers" get handguns in New York all the time, then use them illegally, but those who follow the law are disarmed in the face of potential aggression against them. You shouldn't think about that because "teenagers" might buy guns lawfully.’

Boiled down, Hochul is choosing to treat 18-20 year olds differently, when buying a gun, than they are treated under every other aspect of the law.  If she can single out any one group as exempt from constitutional protections, what is to stop her from going after you for any other reason?

Remember this when voting in November.

You are planning on voting in November, aren’t you?