🏖️ GENESEE VALLEY GUARDIAN Vol 2, Issue 25 — June 23, 2026
Genesee Valley Guardian
Vol 2, Issue 25 — June 23, 2026
Weekly Inspiration
Today is primary day in NY-24.
While Trump’s approval sits at 16% and his war with Iran sputters to a disputed close, while $70 billion more flows to ICE and the surveillance state pushes for expansion, the contest to replace Claudia Tenney moves from argument to decision. Today, you decide.
Heather Cox Richardson wrote last week about George Washington — specifically, what he chose not to do. He resigned his military commission rather than seize the power he’d earned. “One of the highest moral lessons ever given to the world,” Madison called it.
The lesson isn’t about Washington. It’s about us. Democracy holds when people choose to use it.
“Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action.”
— George Washington, December 23, 1783, cited in Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson, June 14, 2026. Read on Substack →
Stand Up, Fight Back Saturday Report
A beautiful day to reclaim our democracy and our flag! Avon showed UP for Stand Up Fight Back Saturday, bringing neighbors out to the Village Circle Park for an afternoon of signs, solidarity, and live music in the air.
This is what community looks like — friends and neighbors gathering in the heart of the village, voices raised and spirits high. The energy was undeniable: people who refuse to back down, showing up for one another and for the values we share.
We don’t back down. We show up — rain or shine. Avon proved it again this week.
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Genesee Valley Voices
More than a few GVI members shared the boost in enthusiasm and hope they received from President and Michelle Obama’s speeches at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, IL on June 18, 2026.
Maxine Long is particularly moved by President Obama’s statement:
[In 1858, abolitionist] Reverend Theodore Parker…[made]…a defiant call not to abandon hope or give way to fear, but to stay true to our better selves and true to one another, and to keep fighting to fulfill the promise of this nation, even in the face of cruelty and bitter disappointment, even in the face of impossible odds.
Several members recommend all of Michelle Obama’s speech, including:
[W]e’re all tested in one way or another. And there are plenty of times we all fall short, but deep down in our hearts and souls we all know right from wrong. We know selflessness from greed, righteousness from injustice. We understand that we all rise and fall together, that every last one of us is an invaluable contributor to the greatness of America.
Read transcripts or watch videos of their speeches: Barack, Michelle.
Stand Up, Fight Back Saturday with WyCoNY Indivisible
Saturday, June 27 · 10:30 to 11:30 AM
Support the Winner — Defeat Claudia Tenney
Wyoming County Courthouse
Main Street, Warsaw, NY
Parking: Behind the courthouse. Level sidewalk from lot to rally area.
Organized by WyCo Indivisible. The primary is over — now we rally together behind the Democratic winner and get to work for November 3.
GVI Rally Schedule for July & August
6/27 – No GVI Rally. See Wyoming County event above.
7/4 – Independence Day! No GVI Rally. Celebrate in your own way.
The following rallies will have the message:
“Defeat Tenney & Support the winner of the 6/23 Primary.”
7/11 – Noon – GVI Rally at Geneseo Gateway Park on the day of the Geneseo Summer Festival on Main St. and at the Village Park.
7/18 – No GVI Rally
7/25 – Noon – GVI Rally with 5&20 Alliance in Lima, at the Four Corners; on the last day of the Hemlock “Little World’s” Fair.
8/1 – No GVI Rally
8/8 – Noon – Rally at the Caledonia Traffic Circle on the day of the Avon Corn Fest.
8/15 – No GVI Rally
8/22 – Noon – Rally in Mt. Morris on the day of the LivCo Summer Fest at Al Lorenz Park.
8/29 – No GVI Rally
Outreach — Call or Email Your Representatives
Federal contacts for Livingston County → · NYS contacts →
Stop Warrantless Mass Surveillance
FISA Section 702 — the post-9/11 surveillance law — expired on June 12. Congress is now deciding whether to bring it back, potentially supercharged with AI capable of mass data collection on Americans. Claudia Tenney voted to extend it on June 11. Senate action is still pending.
This isn’t abstract. The same administration that directed the FBI to pay loyalty bonuses to favored agents and manipulated grand juries to prosecute protesters would gain expanded, warrantless reach into Americans’ communications.
Who to contact: Sen. Chuck Schumer · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
“Please oppose any reauthorization of FISA Section 702 that allows warrantless surveillance of Americans or AI-powered mass data collection. Our constitutional rights are not negotiable.”
Oppose Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence
Trump nominated Jay Clayton — former SEC chair, zero intelligence background — as DNI. Constituent pressure has slowed the confirmation. Keep it up.
Who to contact: Sen. Chuck Schumer · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
“Please vote no on Jay Clayton’s confirmation as Director of National Intelligence. We need qualified intelligence professionals in that role, not political appointees.”
Reach In — Learn, Train, Volunteer
Watch: “For DOGE’d Government Workers, Public Service Is the Best Revenge”
The Daily Show made a video about it. One of today’s candidates lived it.
The Day After: Canvassing Training — June 24
The primary ends tonight. Tomorrow, we start working toward November.
Volunteer Blue and Together We Elect are hosting a free 30-minute virtual training on how to knock on doors and have real conversations with voters — including three techniques that make the difference between a door slammed and a vote flipped.
Wednesday, June 24 · 7:00–7:30 PM · Virtual
Led by Elizabeth Chur and Carol Blaney
Become an Election Inspector — November 3 General Election
County boards of elections need trained inspectors for the November general. It’s one of the most direct ways to support a fair vote.
Defeat Tenney: NY-24 Election Watch
Primary Day: June 23, 2026 · General: November 3, 2026
Today Is the Day
The polls are open. Every registered Democrat in NY-24 — Livingston, Genesee, Orleans, Niagara, Cayuga, Oswego, and Wayne counties — can vote today. Polls close at 9 PM. If you haven’t voted, there’s still time.
Two candidates are on the Democratic ballot. Both have campaigned hard across this sprawling rural district, held debates, and pledged to support the winner in November. An independent candidate is campaigning as a write-in candidate on the Democratic ballot. Whoever wins today has a real shot at unseating one of the most reliable Trump votes in upstate New York.
On the Republican side, incumbent Representative Claudia Tenney qualified for a Primary Election, but no challengers were certified. She moves on to the General Election.
An Independent candidate (Upstate Party) has submitted petition signatures to qualify for the General Election ballot.
Tenney’s Record
- Voted YES — Secure America Act (June 9): $69.55 billion for CBP, ICE, and Homeland Security through FY2029 — the same deportation infrastructure that has seen 18 deaths in federal custody in 2026 alone.
- Voted YES — FISA Section 702 extension (June 11): Backed warrantless surveillance authority for the administration that directed $1 million in FBI “loyalty bonuses” to politically favored agents.
- Voted YES — One Big Beautiful Bill (signed into law, May 2026): Medicaid and SNAP cuts, rollback of clean energy credits for farms, $350 billion for deportation and military spending.
The Challengers
Alissa Ellman · Lockport, Niagara County
Army National Guard veteran, two deployments to Afghanistan. Left the military to become a special education teacher. Diagnosed with cancer from burn pits in 2018; recovered. Lost her VA job in the first wave of DOGE cuts, reached out to Rep. Tenney for help, and received no response. Decided to run for Tenney’s seat. Holds the Working Families Party line for the General Election. Running on healthcare, veterans’ issues, energy costs, and anti-corruption.
Diana Kastenbaum · Batavia, Genesee County
Former CEO of Pinnacle Manufacturing, SUNY Genesee Community College trustee. Organized and attended community town halls across NY-24 since 2025. Endorsed by Steven Holden (2022 Democratic nominee, now withdrawn) and by Moms Demand Action (2026 designation). Running on rural healthcare, Medicaid, veterans’ services, H-2A agricultural workforce reform, and education funding.
Tony Macula · Geneseo, Livingston County
Not on the Democratic Primary Ballot, but campaigning as a write-in candidate in the Democratic Primary. Born and raised in New York State. Mother raised in the Great Depression. Father a WWII veteran. A first-generation graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh. Earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics. Worked as a teacher, research scientist, mathematics program officer, inventor, and science policy aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently retired.
Todd Sloan · Auburn, Cayuga County
Not on the Democratic Primary Ballot. Waiting for certification on the General Election ballot as an Independent after submitting 5,000 petition signatures. A practicing attorney (since 2018) and legal consultant (since 2012). Based in Auburn, NY. Completed a J.D. at Seattle University School of Law in 1996.
GVI encourages members to research all candidates and make their own informed choice.
What They Debated
Ellman and Kastenbaum appeared together at several town hall forums and at two debates — at Cayuga Community College on May 7 (watch the video) and on June 9 at the Arc Community Forum in Batavia (watch the video). At the June 9 debate they agreed on: universal background checks, education funding, student loan interest rate reductions, restoring Congressional war powers, term limits, and voting NO on the SAVE Act.
They split on two issues. On gun control: Kastenbaum supports banning assault weapons; Ellman supports red flag laws and targeted legislation, arguing a broad ban would cover semi-automatic hunting rifles used widely across the rural district. On Israel: Kastenbaum said she would not fund military operations in Israel; Ellman, a combat veteran, said Israel has a right to defend itself but not to kill civilians or starve populations — and said she would support the Block the Bombs Act.
Both pledged to support the primary winner.
Fundraising Context
As of Q1 2026, Tenney held $1.3 million cash on hand — against $124,300 raised by Ellman and $63,500 by Kastenbaum. The gap is significant. Closing it will take district-wide organizing.
Mark Your Calendar
- Today, June 23 — Primary Election Day · Polls close 9 PM
- June 27 — WyCoNY Indivisible rally, Wyoming County Courthouse, Warsaw · 10:30 AM
- July 15 — Q2 FEC filing deadline
- November 3 — General Election Day
Election Questions or Problems?
Livingston County Board of Elections – 585-243-7090 or 585-335-1705 – M–F 8am–4pm
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Local Actions
Defeat Tenney Yard Signs
Genesee Valley Indivisible, with other Indivisibles and allied groups in NY-24, is putting “Defeat Tenney” yard signs across the district. Email Phil at paj12147@gmail.com to reserve yours. Suggested donation: $7.
Confirm Your Registration for November
You voted today — now make sure you’re set for November 3. Visit Vote.org →
Support Alianza AgrĂcola
Learn how local immigrant farmworkers organized a mutual support group and how you can help.
- Become an Ally
- Donate to Alianza AgrĂcola
- Monthly Ally meetings in Geneseo, 3rd Friday of the month — Register →
WEEKLY RECURRING EVENTS
GVI Weekly Community Meeting
Summer Meeting Schedule
6/27 – Regular Meeting time and location.
7/2 – Meeting canceled. The Independence Day Weekend begins!
7/9 to 7/30 – Regular Meeting time and location.
8/6 to 8/27 – Regular Meeting time and location.
Details
Thursdays, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Geneseo, NY
Enter through the red door in the back of the church.
- Welcome. No RSVP required.
- New Format: Agenda arrives in member email inboxes on Thursday mornings.
- Weather cancellations emailed to all GVI members by 3:00 PM Thursday.
- Address & map
- Join our member email list
Weekly Geneseo Wednesday and Friday Protests
Wednesdays and Fridays — 4:00–5:00 PM
Gateway Corner Park in Geneseo, NY (across from Wegmans)
Join the ‘Geneseo Visibles’ — all are welcome, even if you can only stay for 10 minutes!
Weekly Hemlock Protest
Wednesdays — 4:30–5:30 PM (Summer Schedule)
Southeast Corner of Rt 15A and Rt 20A (aka “Dollar General Corner”)
Organized by Hemlock Rising Indivisible
Livingston Bridge Brigade
Once a week, we raise our signs over Route 390, alternating between the 7 a.m. morning commute and the 3:45 p.m. return. It’s safe, it’s fun, and it gets our message in front of the people who need to see it.
We are part of the GVI Artists Group. To join us, send an email to info@GeneseeValleyIndivisible.org with your name, phone number, and email address.
Listen to What’s the Plan? — Weekly Zoom & Podcast
Weekly, national, interactive Zoom with Indivisible co-CEOs Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin.
LOCAL POSTCARD CAMPAIGN
You can pick up postcards to write at home OR write them at GVI’s Thursday meetings. The Artist’s Team is setting up a table to serve as the “postcard station” and can provide pens. Order in advance by Wednesday each week.
SUPPORT GENESEE VALLEY INDIVISIBLE
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