Press Room

Newcomer Shuldiner drops his name in Democratic primary race for Congress

North County News, August 23, 2006
By Danny Lapriore

Ben Shuldiner has adopted the tried- and-true tradition of America's grass-roots, populist candidates and applied it to his fledgling run for political office.

Leading with his first name, Shuldiner's red, white and blue "Ben" signs have sprung up on local lawns around the 19th Congressional District, reminding voters of past single name iconic candidates like "Ike," "Abe" and "Rudy."

The 29-year-old Harvard-trained educator and Mohegan Lake resident is hoping his precocious entrée into politics will yield the same success as his meteoric career as an educator when he meets the voters at the polls in the September 12 Democratic Party primary.

Shuldiner shares the ballot with musician/activist John Hall, political consultant Darren Rigger and attorney Judy Aydelott, who recently switched parties from Republican to Democratic.

"There is no greater good than representing the public in government because you can do so much for all aspects of the community, locally and nationally," Shuldiner said. "I'm excited about having the chance to represent the Hudson Valley in Washington."

Shuldiner ... or "Ben," now lives full time in Mohegan Lake where he spent summers and weekends during his childhood, teen and early adult years. His family lived in New York City but was part of the local community as well.

Shuldiner opted for a career in education after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, a master's degree in educational administration from Baruch College and then taking a study grant for a year in England. He networked a teaching job at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall, he said, because "I wanted to teach in an environment where I could really help people."

A student leader at Harvard, Shuldiner learned quickly that holding office gave one a voice-and that experience was one of the motivations for his youthful run at Congress.

"If you were in student government you were given the opportunity to speak on important issues, so once a month I had the ear of the entire faculty of Harvard University," Shuldiner recalled. "So when we were pushing for issues like the university not using sweatshop labor or living wages, I was able to have a voice to represent the student body."

Erasmus Hall was considered a problem school by many in the New York schools' system and those who evaluated city schools. Shuldiner quickly adapted to the system as a history teacher-doubling the passing rate of his students on the History Regents exam-and rose to department chair. In 2002, the 25-year-old received a grant to build a high school in his own vision of a "fair public education system" - opening the High School of Public Service in Brooklyn in 2003. The effort was funded by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"The school provides rigorous academic training while cultivating citizenship through community service," Shuldinder's campaign literature explains. When the school opened, Shuldiner became the youngest public high school principal in the state.

A recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Awards' "Greatest Public Service in America by an Individual 35 Years or Younger" in 2005, Shuldiner has been buoyed by his ability to make a difference in his community. The award was founded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the 1970s in recognition of outstanding public service.

"I got a phone call in my office telling me I was chosen (for the award) and I didn't really understand the importance of it until it was explained to me that it was for public service and included nominees from across the country," Shuldiner said. "It was really a reinforcement of the work we were doing in the New York City schools and it motivated me to do more."

Shuldiner's passion for people and politics landed him prematurely in the 19th Congressional District Democratic primary race when he determined that "it's just the right time to be involved with a coming trend to move away from the failing Republican Party politics," Shuldiner said.

Shuldiner cites national issues like the war in Iraq, energy independence, health insurance, Social Security guarantees, and, of course, education as his platform's foundation and adds that local issues like Indian Point, and improved education in all local schools will keep him focused on his constituency. And Shuldiner, along with his Democratic Party rivals, are targeting incumbent Congresswoman Sue Kelly (R/Katonah) and the lame duck Bush administration.

"(Kelly) is a rubber stamp for the Bush administration's policies and many of us believe those policies have failed," Shuldiner said. "This is the time we must take back the House so we can begin to see change."

As for his youthful inexperience, Shuldiner, who has spent a lot of time visiting senior citizens and others out of his generational scope, believes his exuberance and concern for a diverse community of people are more important than his chronological age.

Asked whether he felt he would have the same impact in the maze of governmental politics as he has with his career as an educator, Shuldiner was confident that his experience as a teacher and principal and innovator-building a magnet school-would serve him well in Washington.

"People might want to believe that Congress is the biggest bureaucracy, but there is no bigger bureaucracy than the New York city public education system, with one million students," he said.

Shuldiner doesn't feint from the tough questions, taking a stance on cleaner and more efficient energy sources on all fronts, vowing to push for the conversion of the Indian Point nuclear power plant to alternative energy sources. He also believes the nation should be pushing hard toward alternative fuels for home heating and automobiles.

"Health care, energy, education and our involvement in economic and political issues around the world are important issues that affect all Americans," Shuldiner said. "You have to have a mission and a vision to work toward a reality. Standing up and ranting doesn't get things done. I want to work within the system to create change. If I'm told that public education doesn't work, then I'm compelled to prove that it does by making it happen."

Shuldiner said his vision has been a better education for all children and will be "quality education, quality health insurance and getting out of Iraq. Sadly, many politicians are just working to stay (in their office) by being all things to all people. I believe my ideas are clear cut."

On Iraq, Shuldiner said he backs Congressman John Murtha's plan to immediately begin troop withdrawal consistent with the safety of U.S. forces and to pursue the stability of Iraq through diplomacy.

As for his in-house opponents, those he must defeat to get a crack at Kelly, Shuldiner is leaving that choice to the voters.

"The reason we've been so hands-on with fewer television or other ads is because we feel the voters want someone they can relate to and trust," Shuldiner said. "While we may agree with the other Democratic candidates on many issues, this campaign is about connecting with people- gaining trust."

Shuldiner and his team of staff and volunteers held their own "Midnight Madness" event earlier this summer with numbers of staffers and volunteers spread throughout the district to put up lawn signs. "While some of my opponents are choosing to focus on the glitz and glamour of campaigning, we're really dedicated to getting to know the people," said Shuldiner. "We're at train stations, grocery stores, senior homes, county fairs-it's time for local political representatives to really know and understand who they're representing."

As for the economics of politics, Shuldiner, who has raised about $100,000 for his campaign and must raise several times that amount for a well-funded run at Kelly, said his "Ben" campaign may help with the overall cost of his run.

"I have spent hours with senior citizens, days knocking on doors and weeks getting to know people in person," Shuldiner said. "I have a large group of young and energetic campaign workers who have helped get the word out. We're hoping that people will get to know the name and what it stands for."

It's "Ben," right?