Figueroa told the Gazette the goal is to eliminate the fear of being prosecuted under the law and encourage those witnessing an overdose to seek help immediately. “There was a time when they wouldn’t even call 911 because they didn’t want us to show up because they were afraid they were going to be arrested,” said Figueroa.

Despite Ryan being the only Hudson Valley Democrat to pull out a congressional victory, the energy in the room was electric as candidates and voters alike came together to celebrate — sharing food, drinks and cheering on as each representative delivered what felt like one continuous victory speech.

In recent years, Hollywood has been pouring money, time and resources into the Hudson Valley. The New York Times reported that in the late 2010s, Hollywood spent over $100 million toward building a large production studio at a former IBM complex in Ulster. And over the first three quarters of 2022, the Hudson Valley Film Commission tracked more than $60 million in direct local spending in the region.

That has led to a flurry of film activity in the region and opportunities for locals to get involved in the industry. In 2019, the hit HBO mini-series, “I Know This Much Is True,” starring Mark Ruffalo, was shot entirely in Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls and Kingston. Additionally, Apple TV+’s new hit series, “Severance,” was shot in both Kingston and Beacon and has been nominated for a total of 14 Emmy awards.

To find out how aspiring filmmakers can get their feet wet in this growing regional industry, I interviewed a handful of professional filmmakers in the Hudson Valley. These five essential steps were repeated in every interview:

What is motivating you to run for Congress?

At the end of the day, I’m a parent, and I have to think about what kind of community and country I want my two kids to grow up in. I’ve served my country in combat, and I’ve served my community here as Ulster County executive. Earlier this year, I ran for Congress in the special election to continue that fight. In Washington, I’m working to protect the fundamental American freedoms that I fought for overseas and to deliver needed economic relief for hardworking families.

You found yourself in a strange position this summer and fall, running for one district and then immediately running for a brand new district, because of the special election situation. What has that been like? What are the similarities and differences between CD-18 and CD-19?

Redistricting caused a lot of confusion for voters in New York. The district where we won the special election this summer was considered a Republican seat – the so-called experts said a Democrat couldn’t win here and that our campaign should avoid talking about abortion at all costs. We didn’t listen. In the wake of the disastrous Dobbs decision, we made protecting women’s reproductive freedom a central issue in our campaign, and clearly that resonated with voters.

On the morning of Thursday, October 27th, The Legislative Gazette conducted an interview with congressional candidate for District 18, Colin Schmitt, R-New Windsor. Schmitt currently serves as the Assemblyman for New York’s 99th District covering sections of Rockland and Orange County. Schmitt has held office since 2018.

He is also a licensed commercial real estate agent with his wife, Nikki, who is broker of their third-generation family business.

Schmitt is running against Democrat Pat Ryan.