Business-Savvy Carle In Tough Job As Candidate

Candidate Tom Carle of Fredonia marches in the Mayville parade with his wife, Sarah.

Congressional candidate Thomas Carle considers himself a problem solver. Throughout his years of running large and small businesses in the private sector, his actions were driven by finding results that benefited management as well as the workers.

For more than two decades, Carle’s leadership — and hands-on efforts — steered major companies and manufacturing plants that included partnerships with Walmart and Gatorade in positive directions, helping grow revenues in some locations that topped $150 million. He even had success with small businesses, running a pizza shop and bar in tiny Conklin in Broome County.

“I’ve just always worked,” he said during a recent interview. “I had a paper route … worked on the farm, then I was a lifeguard. … I got out of college with no debt because I worked the whole time I went to college.”

Now retired and living in Fredonia, he has set his sights on a dysfunctional and incompetent Congress — taking on a formidable incumbent in U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy in District 23 who has a full campaign arsenal that includes more than $1.4 million raised in the last two years. The former state Republican chairman is in the final quarter of his first term that includes a large dose of name recognition that brings plenty of support from the Southern Tier.

Carle understands the daunting battle. He’s sorely underfunded and understaffed. In addition, he faces one of the most pressing drawbacks facing many in rural New York: he’s a registered Democrat in a district that shares the same shade as a tomato.

Two years ago, Max Della Pia worked tirelessly traveling the district for more than seven months. At that time, he faced two elections. One for a special election to represent the district for former U.S. Rep. Tom Reed’s final four months of 2022. The second against Langworthy in November.

Della Pia came close against Joe Sempolinski in August, but was handily defeated by more than 87,000 votes in November against Langworthy. This is the stark and treacherous reality facing Carle, who was a short-term and long-shot candidate in 2022.

Though his ticket often leans left, Carle comes from a conservative background. He aims to eliminate wasteful spending, reduce deficits, debt and taxes. He also believes that record of business turnarounds has provided him with the experience to outperform colleagues in Congress, in this area.

In addition, he promises to protect and fortify the programs that are so vital to the senior and needy populations of the district. Those include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“I can feel the pain of everybody in this district. I see the poverty. I see the lack of infrastructure. I see the lack of representation,” he said. “I know we can do better. I’m a guy who is not afraid of talking to anybody about anything, but especially when it comes to business. … They know I’m going to have a watchful eye on the money.”

That background of dealing with the bottom line in business, something he notes that career politicians such as Langworthy have not had to worry about, proves an ability to manage and work with others. He also believes this area continues to be forgotten by the federal government.

He says most of the assistance that the region receives, especially the Southern Tier, is from state, county and local budgets. “From a state perspective, it makes sense to have a congressional representative that will work with the state government, rather than be at odds with it,” he said.

Party differences aside, Carle believes the government has a responsibility to help those who have been a part of the workforce but struggle to make ends meet, especially when it comes to health care. “When people that have labored their entire lives reach retirement age, Social Security and Healthcare must be guaranteed,” he said. “(That) brings us to ‘elder-care’ and childcare, which also need attention. These concepts and elevating the human condition are important to all of us, and especially to me.”

Campaign season gets into high gear right after Labor Day. Carle knows he’ll have a back-seat to the high-profile Langworthy who is firmly in the driver’s seat in this race.

“He’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s not going to effectively represent this district,” he said. “I know that I’m outnumbered Republican-wise, but most of the things I stand for … (such as) the social safety net, Republicans use that as much or more as Democrats and Independents.

“We need to have someone that can work for us and with others, effectively. We need to solve problems, not play politics.”

John D’Agostino is the editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext.. 253.