Paula Collins

Democratic NY 21 congressional candidate Paula Collins offered praise to St. Lawrence County employees and volunteers who've been working to keep residents safe and roads open following the recent flooding caused by Hurricane Debby Friday.

"I applaud the efforts of the highway workers and first responders in St. Lawrence County, who acted swiftly and with precision to keep the public safe after the recent hurricane-related storms. Amazingly, by early morning after the storm, county and state teams had blocked off roads or portions of roads to get traffic moving safely as quickly as possible. Of course, some repairs will take weeks or months to complete, including the shoulders along some of the highways, as well as the Ogdensburg docks.

Paula Collins

Collins said this is the third major area of damage in recent weeks in the North Country, including the devastating floods in Lewis County and the tornados throughout the region but especially in the City of Rome.

Collins also took the opportunity to criticize her opponent, incumbent Elise Stefanik.

"Our current representative, Elise Stefanik, has done little to address the concerns of voters in NY-21, who desperately need Congress to develop a long-term plan for mitigating the impacts of climate change," she said in a prepared statement.

Collins is a cannabis tax attorney. Originally from Louisiana and Texas, Paula moved to New York City in 2009 to join the New York City Teaching Fellows. She taught Special Education for 11 years, according to her website.

She attended Brooklyn Law School at night while teaching.

Collins’ say her primary focus is in helping small- to mid-sized entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of licensing, regulation, and compliance in New York's newest industry.

Paula has one daughter, who is a graduate of the London School of Economics in politics and European studies.