CORTLAND COUNTY, N.Y. — The field of candidates vying for the New York State Assembly seat in the 125th district grew again today after Cortland County Libertarian Party Chair Matthew McIntyre announced he would run.
“This community has a lot of good and virtuous people living in it, and it’s time to allow them to start living freely, absent from the control of an oppressive government that only seeks to force their will by way of elected officials who pay little mind to their people’s needs and cries,” McIntyre told the Voice in an email Friday morning. “I believe I am the right man for the job because I have already volunteered to lay down my life in the fight for the people’s rights before, and will continue to bring that battle straight to Albany.”
McIntyre was born and raised in Homer, NY. He served in the United States Marine Corps before he returned to the area to raise his family and pursue a higher education.
He is an alum of LeMoyne College’s Madden School of Business and Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. He is the current chair of the Libertarian Party of Cortland County, a member of both the Marine Corps League and the Knights of Columbus, an interim coach of his daughter’s YMCA gymnastics team and a volunteer with her local Girl Scout troop out of Truxton.
Matthew firmly stands behind the constitution he swore to protect and defend and he aligns himself with core Libertarian party beliefs that support a smaller government and place emphasis on individual liberties, he said in his announcement Friday.
McIntyre is also a husband and a father of two.
As a Libertarian, McIntyre won’t be fighting it out with the five other candidates that have announced on the Democratic side, but could end up facing fellow Cortland Countyan, Lisa Hoeschele, who announced she would be seeking the seat being vacated by the retiring Barbara Lifton earlier this week. That Democratic primary field includes City of Ithaca Alderperson Seph Murtagh, Dryden Town Supervisor Jason Leifer, Tompkins County Legislator Anna Kelles and Cortland County Legislator Beau Harbin in announcing their candidacy.
Petitions to appear on the ballot will begin circulating on Feb. 25 and are due to the Board of Elections between March 30 and April 2. The primary election will take place June 23 ahead of the general election on Nov. 3