In the New York race for US Senate, two 51-year-old women: Republican Chele Farley and Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand – are battling it out for the seat.
New York is viewed as one of the most important in the midterm elections, not least for its size.
Heading into the election, Mrs Gillibrand has the edge, as the well-liked and known incumbent Senator.
A Siena College poll in late-September showed Gillibrand with a 61 percent to 29 percent lead, and a Quinnipiac poll in mid-October gave the incumbent a 58 percent to 33 percent advantage.
But Ms Farley said a prime goal of hers if elected, is to reverse a long-standing situation in which the federal government collects billions more in taxes from New York state residents than the federal government spends in the state.
Who is Chele Farley?
On her website, Ms Farley says: “Chele Farley is running for the United States Senate to provide every New York family with the opportunity to succeed. Specifically, Chele is focused on recapturing the $48 billion dollars more than New Yorkers pay in federal taxes each year than the state receives.
“By addressing the unfair treatment of New York taxpayers, Chele intends to invest in the state’s crumbling roads and bridges and to fix the nation’s largest mass transportation system.
“Chele recognizes that these infrastructure improvements will create jobs, promote the state’s long-term economic health and ease the crushing burden placed on property taxpayers.
“Chele Chiavacci Farley was inspired by her parents to work hard, succeed and help others.
“Chele’s father was a scientist who encouraged her to study math, science and engineering.
“Her interest in these fields led her to major in Industrial Engineering at Stanford University and influenced her commitment to expand educational opportunities in these challenging subjects for all children.
Who is Kirsten Gillibrand?
On her website, Mrs Gillibrand says: “Kirsten Gillibrand has taken on some of the toughest battles in the Senate on behalf of New York’s families—and she’ll never back down when it comes to defending our shared values.
The website goes on to explain how Mrs Gillibrand has a focus on the economy, supporting working families, seniors, the environment, women’s empowerment, transparency, health care, immigration, protecting service members and women’s health and reproductive rights.
The website says: “Born and raised in upstate New York, Kirsten inherited a dedication to public service from her grandmother and mother, who served tirelessly in their community.
“After drawing inspiration from these strong role models and others, as a young lawyer in New York City, Kirsten decided that pursuing a path of helping others was how she wanted to live her life.
She is known to have taken on a number of national progressive issues, including cracking down on sexual assault in the military and on college campuses, speaking out for gay, lesbian and transgender rights, and promoting a stronger role for women in public life.
She said she supports a “Medicare for All” health care system and has been working on legislation to support dairy farmers.