Earlier this summer, the thought of running for the State Senate was the furthest thing from Orange County Clerk Annie Rabbitt's mind. She had three more years in her term, and New York State Senator John Bonacic, as far as everyone knew, would run again for re-election.

But in the span of a few days, everything changed. The Senator announced his retirement, and Rabbitt's phone was ringing with calls encouraging her to run. At first she dismissed them, and set her focus on her daughter's wedding the following weekend. But the calls continued, and Rabbitt decided she ought to listen.

But what issues motivate her to run?

“Everything right now is taxes,” she's quick to point out.

Rabbitt, a Republican, has a full property tax relief plan on her campaign site, www.annieforsenate.com/. One big part of it is a full state takeover of Medicaid. If passed, Rabbitt says it will “change the dynamics of all our counties,” freeing up county budgets. According to her website, the move would save $141 million a year in Delaware, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. She also believes in making the Property Tax Cap permanent, coupled with mandate relief.

Rabbitt also wants to reduce school taxes, envisioning the creation of a Dedicated School Tax Fund with new sports gaming revenues.

“You have gambling coming in right in our county,” she mentions. “There's something called a ‘lockbox'. All allocations of money should go into a lockbox and should go right back to education.”

Rabbitt also notes the importance of the New York State budget, which is currently $168.3 Billion. She is adamant that those elected to oversee the budget need to understand it inside and out. She believes the budget doesn't need to increase ceaselessly. “We can't campaign and say we are business-minded people and then go there and say yes to every idea,” she explains, adding that, “There's a lot of cuts we can make.”

Another topic of concern to Rabbitt is the opioid crisis. “Here in the state of New York, one of the safest plans are the state pensions. And we're invested with opioid manufacturers. What an insult that is right there...the state pension fund.” Part of her opioid plan, that's also on her website, is to divest the pension funds from all opioid producers, wholesalers and mail order distributors.

She believes in early prevention, the earlier the better. As a result, she wants to make sure the money is there for qualified guidance counselors and D.A.R.E. officers. “Many people are counting on our schools,” she explains. “When we hit school budgets and we say, ‘Just start cutting,' we are not thinking when we say that. Because we're cutting in places we shouldn't be cutting. We have to fund these programs.”

Rabbitt understands that to get things done, politicians have to work across the aisle. She notes that throughout her career she has worked with everyone.

As for what she considers her biggest accomplishment as the former assemblywoman of the 97th District, Rabbitt says the PDR (Purchasing Developing Rights) bill, which was “big” for the Town of Warwick. While there was initial opposition, including from some fellow Republicans, she stuck to it because her constituents wanted it. And it passed.

“Right now farmlands in Warwick could not be developed, they had to stay farmlands,” she explains. “So the families could live on the farm. A certain amount of acreage would become business so they can make money,” citing Bellvale Farms as an example, as they have a successful ice cream business on their land.

Rabbitt continues, “So when we sat at the table to discuss how would the farms stay here...the farm, the milk, the cows, they weren't making any money but they wanted to keep the land, so we preserved the land, took off about two and a half acres for business and profit, and then they are allowed to make money, keep it, live on the land for the life of their family. The land can never be sold or developed.” The PDR bill is a statewide law, meaning any Sullivan County town could choose to adopt it.

Rabbitt, a Greenwood Lake resident, has also served as the president of Greenwood Lake's Chamber of Commerce, a trustee on the Greenwood Lake Village Board, and a councilwoman in the Town of Warwick.

“When you look at my resume, it sounds like I can't keep a job,” Rabbitt jokes. But that's not the case. “In the position today as a Senate candidate, I've earned the right to be here because of my roles, my compassion for people, my strong beliefs, my no nonsense personality... but I'm always willing to learn, help and move forward.”

Rabbitt praises Senator Bonacic, who endorsed her and told her, “I think, Annie, you can follow and pick up a lot of the ideas and projects I had intended to work on.” She has seen his work up close, not only because he was her senator, but due to the many roles she's held, she has often been in the room with him, as well as former NYS Senator William J. Larkin Jr. and the late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, learning much in the process.

“We're a lot alike with our energy, but couldn't be more different on a lot of issues,” Rabbitt says of Bonacic. “But that's what brings it to the table, that he believes in me and I thank him for that. I'm honored to call him a friend…”

Other local endorsements Rabbitt has received include from Sullivan County Clerk Daniel Briggs, Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez,Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff, Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, Town of Liberty Supervisor Brian P. Rourke, Esq., Town of Neversink Supervisor Chris Mathews, Sullivan County Coroner Alan Kesten as well as from CSEA, NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses), NYC PBA, NYC Detectives Union, NYS PBA and Police Conference of NY. Rabbitt plans to be accessible to her constituents, visiting the four counties she'd serve on a regular basis and with a public schedule so people would know where she'd be if they needed her.

“I've spent my whole career serving people, and I'm proud of it,” she said. “What you see is what you get.”

On the issues

Rabbitt discussed several issues in Tuesday's interview. Here's a quick synopsis of where she stands on the following...

Gun control: Rabbitt described herself as a very strong believer in the Second Amendment. She was critical of the NY SAFE Act, something she was against from the start. In her position as county clerk she has seen the implementation of the law on a daily basis. “...All it does is put a burden on legal gun owners, and it's layers and layers of paper...” adding that she doesn't believe it has made anybody safer.

Health care: “Five percent of the population is uninsured,” Rabbitt said. “And it's a younger age group, so I'm not in favor of single-payer health care. It will bankrupt the State of New York. Government sometimes wants to take on the big project, and how we're going to solve it, but why are we not solving the five percent that aren't insured? That's what we have to target.”

Small businesses: “I ran an Irish pub for almost two decades,” Rabbitt said. “Red tape in any small business is terrible. The taxes, the fees, it's brutal. A small business owner should not have a fear in them when they receive a letter from the State of New York or federal government.” So what does Rabbitt want to do for small business owners? “Make sure they don't fear the State of New York and have a fighting chance. And what do I bring to the table? The knowledge of what it's like to run a business every single day. And I know the burdens the small business has.”

Pro-Life: “I'm pro-life and I'm proud of it,” Rabbitt said, adding that like Senator Bonacic, she also would have voted against the Reproductive Health Act.

Party lines: Rabbitt is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines.

Rabbitt also believes the lack of high-speed Internet and cell service in parts of the region should be addressed, and is also for improving public transportation.