Guest Viewpoint: Older voters deserve more attention from North Country candidates

Here is a clear and well-documented reality that should be central to every political campaign in the Adirondacks: Older voters are among the most consistent and decisive participants in our elections. That is why I am disappointed that we are not hearing more from candidates for State Assembly, State Senate and Congress about the issues that matter to older residents and their families. According to the New York State Office for the Aging, New Yorkers age 50 and older contribute approximately $719 billion — 43% of the state's GDP — support nearly 6 million jobs through their spending and generate $72 billion in state and local tax revenue. They also contribute billions of dollars more through unpaid caregiving and volunteer service. Here in the North Country, the importance of this population is even more pronounced. The Adirondack Park has long had a significantly older population than the state and nation as a whole, and regional demographic analyses project that by 2030 roughly one-third of Park residents will be over age 60. Equally important is how this population participates in elections. Older voters also participate at substantially higher rates than younger voters. AARP New York has found that voters age 50 and older turn out at higher rates than younger voters across every region of the state. In New York's June 2024 primary elections, voters 50 and older accounted for 72% of all ballots cast. That pattern is especially important in rural areas and in primary elections, where overall turnout is often relatively low. My small, one-election-district town of Minerva offers a striking local example. In the recent 2026 congressional primary, the median age of voters was 68 — a remarkable indication of just how heavily older residents shape the electorate. Older residents are not merely another constituency to be acknowledged during a campaign. They are a large, engaged and often decisive part of the electorate. Given that reality, I am struck by how little attention aging-related issues have received in campaign materials, public appearances and political debate. Among the issues of particular importance to older residents in our region are: Access to affordable, high-quality health care The future of Medicare and Medicaid Strengthening and protecting Social Security Support for family caregivers and policies that allow people to age in place Affordable and appropriate housing for older adults, as well as the workforce needed to support them Transportation and rural infrastructure Property taxes, the cost of living and the pressures facing people on fixed incomes These are not abstract policy questions. They are immediate, everyday realities for a large and growing share of the people who live — and vote — in the North Country. Yet I have seen relatively little from candidates for State Assembly, State Senate and Congress in our area in the way of dedicated policy proposals on aging, public forums or roundtables focused on older residents, or sustained discussion of what they intend to do for older people and the families who care for them. There is still time to change that. As a native and resident of Essex County, the retired Senior Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy for AARP New York, and an older voter myself, I urge candidates for State Assembly, State Senate and Congress across our region to make aging issues a more visible and substantive part of their campaigns. To the candidates: Tell us how you will protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. Tell us what you will do about prescription drug costs, access to affordable health care, Medicaid and long-term care. Talk about caregiving, housing, transportation, property taxes and the ability of people to remain in the communities they have called home for decades. Don't do it simply because older people vote. Do it because these issues are central to the future of the North Country, our state and our nation. -David McNally, Minerva Retired Senior Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy for AARP New York

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Guest Viewpoint: Older voters deserve more attention from North Country candidates

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