LISBON – Congressional hopeful Blake Gendebien held a town hall meeting in Potsdam where he spoke with 90 attendees, according to a press release issued by his campaign.

The Lisbon farmer and small business owner Blake Gendebien hosted the fourth town hall of his campaign to represent NY-21 in Potsdam.

Gendebien discussed his campaign’s focus on strengthening the North Country’s agriculture workforce, securing the border, and winning over voters across the political spectrum, according to the release.

On immigration reform, Gendebien said his campaign is focused on “securing the border, but not with offense. It’s by hiring additional immigration judges. It’s by giving ICE and border patrol officers the resources they need to do their job. It is also by allowing state and local police to communicate with border patrol and ICE officers. One of the advantages of having [representation] from the North Country is that we have friends who are border patrol, state police, local police, and ICE officers, and they offer common-sense advice,” the press release said. 

He also called for less agricultural reforms.

“There’s too much bureaucratic red tape… It’s way too difficult to manage and work through. We need a farm worker modernization program that will be easier to navigate, easier to work with, and it will drive food costs down.”

According to the press release Gendebien said his campaign is for the North Country.

“ It is not a campaign for one side or the other. We’re a pragmatic reflection of the North Country, and that’s what’s different about this campaign and that’s why we’re having so much success. We’re redefining what it means to be a Democrat running in rural America. We’re there for the working man, working woman.”

He also took aim at his opponent, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who was set to vacate the seat before President Donald Trump changed his plan to make her the U.N. Ambassador.

“She already has one foot out of the door. She is not interested in coming home,” he said in the release.