MONTICELLO — The Sullivan County Chapter of the NAACP hosted a community forum at The Black Library in Monticello on October 22, this time featuring candidates for the New York 19th Congressional District: incumbent Republican Congressman Marc Molinaro and his Democratic challenger, Josh Riley. The forum was moderated by Dr. Sean Wall-Carty, Town of Fallsburg councilman and NAACP representative.

As Election Day approaches, the forum provided a platform for both candidates to address key issues impacting the 19th Congressional District, including healthcare, economic development, and law enforcement. 

Molinaro talked about his bipartisan record and law enforcement when it comes to bail reform, while Riley spoke about the economic challenges his community faced and his commitment to addressing similar issues across the district.

Community members were asked to submit questions throughout the evening, leading to a wide range of topics for the candidates to answer. 

One topic was how to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. Molinaro talked about his experience in Dutchess County as County Executive, where he said he supported crisis intervention training and programs to improve collaboration between law enforcement and mental health services. 

“Mobile intervention teams, crisis training, and having 911 dispatchers trained to handle mental health interactions,” said Molinaro. 

Riley agreed  the need for better training but added that building trust requires police officers to be deeply integrated within the communities they serve. He advocated for community-oriented policing programs, saying, “It makes a real difference when the officer on the street is someone who grew up in your neighborhood.” 

Riley also supported expanding federal funding for such programs to ensure that law enforcement can effectively address the needs of diverse communities.

Early voting starts on Saturday, October 26, and Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5.