Putting up $50,000 of his own money to run, Duane Whitmer, Libertarian Candidate for Congress in District 27, is back out in the community after the COVID-19 Pandemic ended all of his typical access to voters in the district since March.
Events like county fairs and meet and greets have been non existent. Whitmer has used social media to communicate with voters or raise funds over the last five months.
“I don’t have the money that the two parties have with their corporate donations to run radio ads and all the stuff they do,” says, Whitmer.
Whitmer says that people tend to forget rural counties and says he is here to listen. Growing up in Franklinville, NY, the son of a farmer, Whitmer is an accountant and business owner who lives in Hamburg, NY.
“Third party candidates have it rough because of party recognition and name recognition. People continue to vote red or blue no matter who, so we have all these uphill battles.”
Last weekend, Whitmer was back out in the community and visited the LeRoy area in the hopes of earning votes one person at a time.
“A lot of people are still on the fence, they don’t know who to vote for or are upset with both parties or there are independent voters who want to make a change, there is still time.”
Whitmer says republicans and democrats have dominated offices forever and nothing has changed.
“We are 26 million in debt, we have stagnate wages, congressional salaries have gone up, they make $184,000 a year. When the government shut down, their paycheck still cleared. If your business shut down, their paycheck still cleared, when you were collecting unemployment or struggling to get through to the Department of Labor, they were still getting their paycheck, they weren’t laid off, so we have developed a ruling class in this country. The two party machine is out of touch with basic needs of the average person.”
Whitmer says that is why he continues to move forward as a third party candidate in NY-27.
“So if you want to send a message and really impact change, that’s why I’m here. To put regular people back into office. I’m against corporate donors who donate to red and blue. I’m against the mentality of republicans and democrats who in the form of mental abuse, tell their voters you gotta vote blue no matter who, or vote red no matter who and if you don’t vote red or blue, your hurting the party, and that is not the case,” says Whitmer.
“I believe in checks and balances and having a strong 3rd party. It will continue to keep the parties honest. By continuing to vote for the same people, you are not letting your voice be heard, you are not sticking up for yourself, you are falling for manipulation.”
Whitmer says republicans tried to sue him off the ballot in March.
“They got someone to register as a libertarian and question the rules with an attorney in Albany. Then the democrats in Albany actually sponsored my primary opponent. So what they actually did was try and take me off of the ballot.”
Whitmer says despite these challenges from the right and the left he will remain in the race. “I’m not interested in making more money during this , I own an accounting practice. I’m more interested in growing the party and what I believe in.”
Whitmer is 32 years old and a 2009 graduate of SUNY Fredonia. He started his accounting business in 2014. He says he looks at his responsibility as a candidate in NY-27 as an educator.
“I love it, I’m from Franklinville, a low income area , I grew up super poor. I got a lot of help in going to college. I’ve been fighting an uphill battle my whole life. I have nothing to lose. People make fun of me because I’m not going to get 100% of the vote. I’ll only get a small percentage, but to me that’s more. If I were the republican or democratic nominee for NY-27, I wood win, there is no doubt in my mind. I’m not winning as a third party, so that shows there is a problem with the system.”
Whitmer says his campaign now is about earning people’s votes.
“Every vote I get I know I fought for. It means more to me, I achieved something. I feel its about connection with people. They might join the party, they might run for something.”
Whitmer says he is not a typical politician who needs the taxpayer to support him. In a nutshell Whitmer is pro-gun, pro-Constitution, pro- Bill of Rights and pro- small government and would like to cut taxes. He says he believes in a decentralized government.
“I have my own skillset. I have no interest in joining the democratic or republican establishment. I’m trying to tear it down. I’ve met people who are so upset. We are really for the little guy because the establishment has the power, its a David and Goliath battle.