BUFFALO, N.Y. — In the midst of early voting for New York's 23rd Congressional Republican primary, 2 On Your side has been discussing the issues with candidates Nick Langworthy and Carl Paladino, with the goal of informing voters where each contender stands.
Carl Paladino spoke with Channel 2's Rob Hackford two weeks ago, and on Wednesday it was Langworthy's turn to answer questions about gun policy, abortion, and his transition to candidate for Congress.
As the current New York Republican Party chairman Langworthy is all too familiar with, the deeply red district he's running in and how more than other primary races on Aug. 23 “is largely going to decide the outcome of this Congressional race.”
Langworthy is a first-time candidate for public office, so when asked about his plan to combat America's No. 1 concern, inflation, he said:
“I look at this from a two-pronged approach," said Langworthy.
"One, the government absolutely has to start spending less money. We have to get real about savings. We can't be all things to all people at all times, and there have to be tough decisions made."
Those "tough decisions," Langworthy said, are cuts to what he calls radical new spending plans put forth by the Biden Administration. If elected to Congress, Langworthy told 2 On Your Side that he would step away from his role as state party chair and focus on bringing balance to Washington.
"I think I can be impactful right away because of the relationships I've built here in Western New York," he said.
"The problem with the Democratic leadership from the top down is they believe Washington spending has to drive every single one of these situations, and really incentivizing the private sector through tax incentives could get a lot of things accomplished."
In the Southern Tier, Langworthy said he would prioritize natural gas expansion as a way to bring jobs and investment to his district "just like Pennsylvania does."
When asked if he’s an environmentalist, he responded, “absolutely, I want the cleanest environmental situation that we could have but we also have to balance that with progress and jobs and opportunities."
Langworthy would oppose attempts to pass an assault weapons ban or other gun restrictions at the federal level.
“I support the Second Amendment. I am proud to support the Second Amendment. Hurting law-abiding gun owners will do nothing to bring back the victims of crime. We have to get serious about mental health," he said.
He also stands by the Supreme Court's decision to make abortion a state's rights issue.
“I think there were great flaws with the Roe decision long ago, and what we have now is an issue that's up to the states. I am 100% pro-life, and I will never apologize for that,” he said.
Langworthy also made a pitch to voters still weighing if he or his primary opponent, Carl Paladino, is the better option.
“We need to send someone to Washington who is not going to be silenced because of their behavior because the way they handle themselves, because they're running to say outlandish things on cable news," Langworthy said.
"That's not why I'm running. I'm running to get something done for the Southern Tier, and the people of the Southern Tier and Western New York, because they've been voiceless for far too long."
You can watch 2 On Your Side's full interview with Nick Langworthy below:
