Another Challenger for Barrett

Last year, Assemblymember Didi Barrett successfully survived a primary challenge from Claire Cousin, who interestingly has never held an elected office she won in a contested race. Next year, Barrett, who has represented the 106th District in the New York State Assembly since being chosen in a special election in March 2012, will face another primary challenge, this time from Sam Hodge, who currently chairs the Columbia County Democratic Committee. Hodge's challenge is the subject of an article by Roger Hannigan Gilson, which appeared this morning in the Times Union: "Columbia County Dem chair Sam Hodge to primary Assemblywoman Didi Barrett." The following is quoted from Gilson's article:

This is the second election in a row in which Barrett has been challenged in a primary. In 2024, Claire Cousin, a Columbia County supervisor and community leader, ran against the assemblywoman. Barrett won by a small margin in Dutchess County, with 53% of the vote, but crushed Cousin in Columbia County, receiving 61% of the vote, according to certified election results.

A Columbia County Democratic insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the race, said this situation was unlikely to repeat itself, as Barrett would be missing the support of the Columbia County Democratic Party apparatus and many county residents who voted for her during the last primary would choose Hodge this time around.

(A note of correction and clarification: Claire Cousin resigned as First Ward supervisor in December 2024 when she moved from the First Ward to the Fifth Ward. Beginning next month, January 2026, she will be a councilmember from the Fifth Ward, a position for which she ran unopposed.)

Also this morning, Sam Hodge issued his own press release, announcing his run for the State Assembly. 

Democrat Sam Hodge Announces Campaign for New York State Assembly District 106

Sam Hodge, 39, a former prosecutor, community activist, progressive, lifelong Democrat, and Chair of the Columbia County Democratic Committee, today announced his candidacy for the New York State Assembly District 106, pledging to bring new leadership to meet the affordability challenges facing the Hudson Valley and New York State.

"Across Columbia and Dutchess counties, we are being squeezed by rising costs, unaffordable housing, dwindling rural healthcare options, skyrocketing utility bills, and a federal government that has abandoned its responsibility," Hodge said. "New challenges demand new leaders, and I'm running for Assembly to fight for a more affordable, fair, and forward-looking New York."

Hodge emphasized that the future of the region depends on leaders who understand the pressures facing working families and younger generations. "I'm in my late thirties. I know what it's like to be burdened by student debt, squeezed by housing costs, and feel the sticker shock when I open my utility bills. I'm running for Assembly because the Hudson Valley deserves a progressive leader who is unafraid to challenge entrenched corporate interests, especially utility companies like Central Hudson and National Grid, and the business-as-usual mentality in Columbia and Dutchess counties."

Hodge will not accept corporate PAC money or money from utility and landlord-aligned PACs, and is challenging his opponent to do the same.

"We have immigrants--our neighbors--being racially profiled and snatched off the street, like the recent incident at Stewart's in Hudson, which has left a community scared to go to work, school, and church," said Hodge. "My opponent refused to sponsor New York 4 All during the last legislative session, which would ban local law enforcement agencies from being deputized as ICE agents. [Gossips note: Barrett is a co-sponsor of the current version of the bill.] It's reprehensible. These are frightening times, and we need leaders willing to step up, fight hard, and do what's right. Every day this law was delayed meant more children left without protection and more families torn apart. They needed a voice in the Assembly--and they were met with silence.

"As a prosecutor in the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse & Sex Crimes Bureaus, I spent my career standing up for people who had been failed by the system. When children and young women needed a fighter, I fought. In Albany, that experience matters--because the job of an Assemblymember is also to protect the vulnerable, confront broken systems, and demand accountability. I'm ready to bring that same commitment to the State Assembly."

As Chair of the Columbia County Democrats, Hodge led the party through one of its most successful eras--flipping seats, electing the first Democratic District Attorney in 40 years, and helping elect New York's first woman of color Sheriff. Under his leadership, Columbia County repeatedly had the highest Democratic turnout in the state.

Hodge addressing supporters of the county executive initiative last August.