The idea that the North Country can send a dairy farmer to Congress is a meaningful statement from this large, rural corner of New York State. The idea that this dairy farmer is Blake Gendebien makes it even more impactful.
Blake’s formal political credentials are limited. His community engagement and leadership are not. But I want to set aside the résumé and talk about what I’ve noticed since first meeting Blake at last year’s Washington County Fair because what I’ve observed in his manner tells me everything I need to know.
Blake is all in. Remarkably so. Whether at a county fair, a meet-and-greet,or a town hall, he leans into the room with a courage that’s eager to express itself. You can see the earnestness pour from him – the furrow of his brow, the light in his eyes, and his sincere manner (often tinged with a bit of humor to soften the weight of his feelings… which are large). He means what he says. He believes in this upstate world of ours and the goodness of its people. He’s stripped of the performative nature of politicians… and it’s endearing.
And it should be noted, the guy is funny. I’ve huddled with him and his team… and he’s quick to disarm an intense moment with a witty aside. “Witty” being the key word here. It’s this wittiness that marks his intelligence.
Then there are his greatest credentials… ones that mean more to him than any title, position, or, dare I suggest, party affiliation. There is a rooted element to his identity as a New York State farmer that is above and beyond politics. And what are these other credentials? His family and his farm.
Blake’s wife Carmen is his not-so-secret weapon. Raised in New York City, like me, she brings a savviness that expands her husband’s ability to connect not only with rural voters but with the people of our villages and small cities. Whenever I’ve been in a room with both of them, I notice Blake always looking to her, for her… and there she is, bright in mind and spirit. They, with their three boys, are a family team in the truest sense.
Then there is the farm itself, a significant operation in a sometimes unforgiving part of the world: Early mornings, hard choices, razor-thin margins, and an unshakeable commitment to the land and the animals in his care. If anyone knows what we are feeling in this whiplash economy, it’s him.
This is who Blake Gendebien is at his core… a farmer, a father, a husband. And in my considered opinion, the most qualified person to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District.
He’s real. In a political moment defined by empty performances, vitriol, and hollow spectacle, his realness is everything to me.
