Aaron Gies
More than 125 people attended a public town hall meeting recently held in Jamestown by Democratic Congressional Candidate Aaron Gies.
The public event took place at the James Prendergast Library on August 6, just hours after Congressman Nick Langworthy spoke at a members-only CHQ Chamber event at Wicked Warrens.
Gies, who is running against Langworthy for the 23rd Congressional District seat, is an Assistant Professor of Theology and Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University.
He said rural communities have been left behind by Washington, “Our historic downtowns have often lost most of their businesses. We are talking about jobs that have left. We’ve lost population. We’re losing young people. And, families now are struggling to pay for basics. So, healthcare, educational opportunities, and now, recently, food, fuel. In other words, all those things that I was able to take for granted as a working-class kid just a couple of decades ago.”
Gies says he decided to run when Langworthy backed off from comments he made while running in 2022 about Russian President Vladimir Putin being a “murderous dictator” and the United States needing to stand strong with Ukraine and its NATO allies. He said when he recently wrote to Langworthy to ask if these beliefs still held true, Langworthy responded with “America First,” “Because, if he will not stand against the President when vulnerable people, when their (Ukraine) security is at stake, in a low-stake situation like that, where 85% of the American people agree with him, there is no one, no one that he will stand up to defend. And, that is why he is at the Chamber of Commerce right now, telling a bunch of business leaders what they want to hear, and voting for everything the President says, and he is afraid to talk to you.”
When it comes to issues, Gies stated he supports eliminating the cap on Social Security earnings. He said, currently, Social Security is moving towards insolvency in 2032. Gies also said a goal, if elected, is to restore the Affordable Care Act subsidies that were cut, leaving 13,682 residents in the 23rd District without health care when the New York Essential Plan expired July 1, 2026. He added that he also supports universal single-pay health care.
A former intern of Representative Langworthy questioned Gies on where he stood on abortion and gun rights. Gies stated that, quote, “If we want a culture of life where we are welcoming children and encouraging families and expanding the common good, that draconian laws that try to control women’s bodies are just not the way to do that.” He also stated that he’s pro-Second Amendment, especially when it comes to guns being used for hunting in order to feed families, “I am for things like universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, get rid of ghost guns, red flag laws. I think if the Republicans are serious about mental health as like a root cause of gun violence, and I don’t necessarily disagree with that, then we need to fund mental health.”
Gies is holding 100 in-person Town Halls across the nine counties that make up the 23rd District prior to the November General Election.
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