Dana Balter ran against incumbent John Katko in the 24th Congressional District representing the Syracuse area in 2018 and lost by a little over 5 percentage points. 

This time around, according to the latest Siena Poll, the race is a statistical dead heat. In fact, according to poll watchers, this race is supposed to be one of the most competitive in the country.

She told Capital Tonight’s Susan Arbetter than she believes the role of government is to clear a path for opportunities, something that started in her childhood.

“I grew up with a younger brother with cognitive disabilities,” Balter said. “The experience of moving through the world by his side is really what shaped how I see the world.”

Balter says the values she learned through those early experiences are that everybody deserves dignity, access, and opportunity. 

“That set of values is really the underpinning, of not only how I look at the world, and our public problems, and the solutions…but it also shaped the way I view the role of government,” she said.

Balter spoke with Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter.