The midterm elections have come and gone. As the final puzzle pieces to the next Congress fall into place, Republicans will retake the House of Representatives in January while the Senate will stay in Democratic hands, a sign that political divisions in this country continue to run deep.
Timothy Finnegan wears many hats. He’s a veteran, a volunteer firefighter, and the owner of Finnegan’s Pub in Woodbury.
“The cost of goods are going up, so it’s definitely affecting small business,” Finnegan said. “It makes us raise prices.”
But it wasn’t inflation that got him to the polls for the midterms.
“I think with how many people are close to the city, it was bail reform,” he said. “I see a lot of it coming up here, and it definitely affects our community. You hear every night on the news or in the paper, that something is happening and people are going right back on the streets, so that was definitely a biggie up here.”
Finnegan is a registered Republican. He voted for Republican candidate Colin Schmitt in the race for New York’s 18th Congressional District. Schmitt narrowly lost to Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan by 0.8 points.
“I wasn’t too shocked it was neck-and-neck,” Finnegan said. “It was definitely a big push for red, and you could see it. A lot of people want change, whether it’s even a Democrat experimenting once and voting Republican to see how change works. I think that’s why it was so close; a lot of people wanna see a difference.”
Exit polling from the Associated Press says the top issues that drove conservative voters to the polls across the U.S.: the economy, immigration and crime.
Finnegan said it was disheartening to see Schmitt lose. But he still has hope for the future, even though his top choice isn’t in D.C. to represent him. He feels that while Ryan may not be from his party, he still shares common bonds with the congressman.
“We’re gonna have to learn to work together,” Finnegan said. “He is also a veteran, so I trust in his leadership skills, and being a West Point grad, I think he’ll do an excellent job, whether our policies line up. So it’s just about coming together and making the right move for New York.”
He hopes issues like crime can resonate with Americans on both sides of the aisle.
“We’re all New Yorkers, we’re all community members, you know, family, friends," Finnegan said. "There’s definitely a common ground to be had. And whether that’s just sitting down and listening, and trying to figure out 'well, maybe that’s a little extreme, can we tone it back on either side?' ”
Finnegan is on the town council in Woodbury. When asked about former President Donald Trump’s 2024 bid for the White House, Finnegan said he supports the Republican Party and wants to move away from Trump, and that whoever ends up being the Republican pick should be someone who is well-spoken and well-versed on the issues that matter most to Americans.