Rubino, Smullen vie for 118th Assembly district seat

Observer-Dispatch (Utica, NY)

Oct. 27--One thing is for sure with the upcoming election in the 118th Assembly district -- once it's over, there will be a new person sitting in the seat.

Assemblyman Marc Butler, R-Newport, has held the seat for decades -- having first been elected to the Assembly in 1995. But last year Butler announced plans to retire at the end of this term.

Now, two political newcomers are vying for the seat.

Democrat Keith Rubino of Herkimer and Republican Robert Smullen of Gloversville have little political experience between them. Rubino ran unsuccessffuly for the Herkimer County Legislature in 2017 and this is the first time that Smullen -- a Marine Corps veteran -- has run for public office.

"It's the first time in 20 years that the district has an opportunity to choose between two people who are complete opposites," Rubino said.

The 118th Assembly district is a large district that encompasses Fulton County, Hamilton County and portions of Herkimer, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties.

Rubino was born and raised in Herkimer and has worked in the mental health care field. He decided to become active in politics following the 2016 election of President Donald Trump.

Smullen served in the Marines for 24 years, attaining the rank of colonel, and saw three tours in combat. He currently volunteers with the New York Naval Militia, a roughly 3,000-person element of the New York Defense Forces responsible for emergency responses.

"I have never run for office before, which is my greatest strength in becoming a public servant," Smullen said. "However, I do have a lot of public leadership experience, having served all over the world, including in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., managing resources."

Here's a look at each candidate's platform.

Keith Rubino

Rubino lists education, health care and being an independent voice as the main issues he wants to address.

"I'm running as a Democrat, but I'm trying to remind people that what they see on the national level as a Democrat is not what I am in this district," Rubino said.

Explaining what he meant, Rubino said he supports the Second Amendment, is for looking at the SAFE Act and possibly repealing it, wants semi-open primaries where independents could have more of a voice, and supports standing up to New York City Democrats.

For education, Rubino wants to look at how districts are funded.

"We need to figure out how to get districts to rise back up," he said, adding that many districts remain in poverty.

Rubino favors single-payer health care. He noted that many people are forced to sites like Go Fund Me to help cover their health care costs.

"Basically insurance companies can determine your value," he said.

He also is in favor of looking at how things in the state are funded. He is not in favor of raising taxes and would rather move funding around in the current system.

"I want people to know where their tax money is going," he said.

Robert Smullen

Smullen bases his campaign platform on three pillars -- lower taxes, less regulation and more liberty.

"New York is the highest taxed and most heavily regulated state in our union," Smullen said. "It is a place where people have been forced to leave for the sake of their prosperity, whether during their working careers or in their retirement years."

Smullen said he would look at unfunded mandates on local governments and taxpayers by examining them and looking for ways to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

"For example, Medicaid is the single largest unfunded mandate facing the five North Country counties in the 118th Assembly district," he said. "Medicaid has expanded tremendously but has not relieved the care and cost gap. Our per capita costs exceed that of other states, so we need to increase efficiency in the delivery of services and thereby reduce overall costs."

He also stated that he would look to help businesses and taxpayers by reducing regulations that make things in New York cost more than other places in the country.

Smullen said he also would work to repeal and replace the SAFE Act with sound and responsible guidance. He said the act was passed in the dead of night and infringes on people's Second Amendment rights.

"Lastly, my goal is to build the New York of the future, one that is reimagined to be great again," he summed up.

Contact reporter Ed Harris at 315-792-5063 or follow him on Twitter (@OD_EHarris). Visit www.uticaod.com/elections for additional local election coverage.

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