Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Democrat Betsy Kraat has declared her intention to challenge Republican incumbent Chris Tague for the 102nd Assembly District seat. Hunter resident Kratt is a single mother and a social worker by profession. “I decided to run because there needed to be somebody to run against Chris Tague,” Kraat said. “We were getting close to the cutoff for petitioning, and I decided that as a single mother, tenant and social worker, I could bring a lot of unrepresented viewpoints to the legislature.” Health care is one of Kraat's top issues. “The time has come that we really need to take a look at a public health option,” Kraat said. “COVID has illustrated how private health care is a hindrance and not a help. It kept us from mounting a solid testing approach...” Education is another area of interest for Kraat, arguing that public schools must be fully funded. She also wants to see police officers out of the schools. Kraat is also looking for the 102nd district to benefit from revenue generated by recreational marijuana, if it is legalized by the state, to give farmers an economic boost. Kraat said Tague, is an ineffective representative because as a member of the minority party all he does is vote "no." “He can’t really do much and hasn’t taken the initiative to do much. We need somebody who can advocate for the people and make things happen,” she said. The general election is Tue., Nov. 3. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.