2026 New York General Election

I have lived in East Fishkill now for almost 10 years. I was raised here in Dutchess County in the Town of Poughkeepsie. I graduated from Roy C. Ketcham High School, and come from a family with deep roots in this community. My father spent 25 years working for IBM, most of that in East Fishkill. My great-grandfather came to Poughkeepsie in 1890 to work on the bridge that today is known as the Walkway Over the Hudson. My parents lived in the same Town of Poughkeepsie home for fifty years.

Biography | Tony Giaccone for Dutchess County Legislature, District 12

Anthony Giaccone was raised in the Town of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County. He graduated from Roy C. Ketcham High School. He has lived in East Fishkill for almost 10 years.

My career took me across the country and around the world, working as both an employee and a consultant for companies including Apple, Xerox, IBM, and MCI, with assignments here in the United States and abroad in Germany and Colombia. I ended my career at The New York Times, and after years of commuting into New York City, I returned home in 2011 because I never stopped believing in this community. I was part of a team of workers at the New York Times who worked to unionize our workforce and was proud to be part of that process.

Anthony Giaccone ended his career at The New York Times. He previously worked as an employee and consultant for Apple, Xerox, IBM, and MCI.

Employment

I believe that good-paying jobs, including union jobs, should be plentiful and available to everyone who wants to work. We want everyone who wants to work to have a job that pays a living wage. I believe that until we have a single-payer health care system in this country, every full-time job should provide health care.

Values | Tony Giaccone for Dutchess County Legislature, District 12

Believes good-paying, union jobs should be widely available and pay a living wage.

Believes every full-time job should provide health care until the country has a single-payer health care system.

- Believes good-paying, union jobs should be widely available and pay a living wage.
- Believes every full-time job should provide health care until the country has a single-payer health care system.

Economy

As of October 26, 2026, Anthony Giaccone’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Services

Affordable Housing

I believe that rents should be affordable; home prices should be affordable. We should ensure that sufficient stocks of housing are available to make housing affordable to residents who have recently started working. I believe it is the responsibility of government at the town, county, and state level to ensure that there are legal frameworks in place to encourage the development of housing at prices young workers can afford.

Affordable Communities

I believe we should be building communities where housing and commerce are linked together. A village where shops provide basic goods and services is key to a better life. A village or hamlet built in this way allows you to drive less, walk more, and buy less gas. These changes make the community more affordable.

Supports laws and regulations that encourage the development of housing affordable to young workers.

Supports linking housing and commerce in communities to facilitate walking and reduce driving.

- Supports laws and regulations that encourage the development of housing affordable to young workers.
- Supports linking housing and commerce in communities to facilitate walking and reduce driving.

Housing & Urban Development

Immigration

Unrestricted immigration is a problem. We need control of our borders to ensure that we manage immigration and its consequences. However, immigrants are a net positive for our society and they help us solve many social problems. The economic gain from their participation more than pays for the economic cost of their presence. We need to stop demonizing immigrants.

Public Safety

Law enforcement officers are the most visible part of our government, and everyone, regardless of citizenship status, is equal under the law. As a result, I believe that law enforcement should treat all people equally and that no one should fear mistreatment when stopped by law enforcement. I believe that law enforcement should show respect to every individual they encounter. I believe they should be trained to ensure that anyone stopped is treated with respect, is treated equally, and is treated firmly but politely until circumstances require more direct action.

Public Safety

Law enforcement officers are the most visible part of our government, and everyone, regardless of citizenship status, is equal under the law. As a result, I believe that law enforcement should treat all people equally and that no one should fear mistreatment when stopped by law enforcement. I believe that law enforcement should show respect to every individual they encounter. I believe they should be trained to ensure that anyone stopped is treated with respect, is treated equally, and is treated firmly but politely until circumstances require more direct action. I believe we should ensure that all encounters between law enforcement and the public are captured on body cams.

Supports border controls to manage immigration and its consequences, while saying immigrants benefit society and should not be demonized.

Believes law enforcement should treat people equally and respectfully, without mistreatment during stops.

Supports recording all encounters between law enforcement and the public using body cameras.

- Supports border controls to manage immigration and its consequences, while saying immigrants benefit society and should not be demonized.
- Believes law enforcement should treat people equally and respectfully, without mistreatment during stops.
- Supports recording all encounters between law enforcement and the public using body cameras.

Public Safety

Transportation & Infrastructure

Fossil Fuels

As we've seen since the war in Iran started in March, reliance on Middle Eastern fossil fuels is a path to national insecurity. The oil market is an international market, and even if we don't directly use Middle Eastern oil, a decrease in Middle Eastern oil production will cause price increases in the USA. We need a plan for real energy independence that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels. We do this by increasing the amount of clean energy we generate. More clean electric power means less economic dependence on the price of oil.

Climate Change

I believe that climate change is real, that we are experiencing it, and that we need a plan that will address this problem from the local to the national. Part of this plan should provide for building more clean energy generation. We need to build more utility-scale battery storage systems that smooth out demand on the grid. We should also review the process of creating new nuclear power plants.

Climate Change

I believe that climate change is real, that we are experiencing it, and that we need a plan that will address this problem from the local to the national. Part of this plan should provide for building more clean energy generation. We need to build more utility-scale battery storage systems that smooth out demand on the grid. We should also review the process of creating new nuclear power plants. Thirty years have passed since the US regularly built and brought online nuclear power plants. Advances in industrial design, automation, and nuclear engineering mean we should be able to make nuclear power viable as a production source once again.

AI Data Centers

I'm against the creation of countless data centers to support AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that will create social disruption. We don't know how that disruption is going to play out. We don't know the consequences of the job loss created by widespread AI implementation, and we don't know how to deal with those consequences for the people who end up unemployed.

AI Data Centers

I'm against the creation of countless data centers to support AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that will create social disruption. We don't know how that disruption is going to play out. We don't know the consequences of the job loss created by widespread AI implementation, and we don't know how to deal with those consequences for the people who end up unemployed. We need a better understanding of the market disruption and job loss caused by the use of AI, and we need to protect ourselves from the AI bubble that is sure to collapse at some point. There's no point in building data centers to support this technology without understanding how they will affect the demand for electricity and water. The lack of knowledge about the size of the market and the demand on other resources makes it prudent to put the brakes on data center development.

Calls for greater clean-energy generation to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and advance energy independence.

Calls for climate action from the local to the national level, including more clean generation and utility-scale battery storage.

Calls for reviewing processes for new nuclear power plants to make nuclear power viable again.

Opposes widespread artificial intelligence data-center development until effects on electricity and water demand are understood.

- Calls for greater clean-energy generation to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and advance energy independence.
- Calls for climate action from the local to the national level, including more clean generation and utility-scale battery storage.
- Calls for reviewing processes for new nuclear power plants to make nuclear power viable again.
- Opposes widespread artificial intelligence data-center development until effects on electricity and water demand are understood.

Energy & the Environment

Anthony Giaccone

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - Dutchess County Legislature Chairman Will Truitt has announced his slate of committee chairs for the coming year. The legislature is home to six standing committees which consider legislation each month before the meeting of the full legislative body.

Returning to the helm of the Public Works and Capital Projects Committee is veteran lawmaker John Metzger of East Fishkill. Metzger, who is embarking on his fifth term as a legislator, has a professional background in construction and overseeing capital projects. For Vice Chair, Truitt has selected Legislator Randy Johnson of the City of Poughkeepsie. Legislator Johnson is beginning his fourth term and has a professional background in engineering.

CHAIRMAN TRUITT ANNOUNCES 2024 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND VICE CHAIRS

John Metzger has a professional background in construction and capital-project oversight.

Legislature District 12

John D. Metzger (R, C, I, RF) 1,052

Christopher "CJ" Tomaskovic (D) 408

Legislature District 13

All results are unofficial.

Dutchess County election results

CHAIRMAN TRUITT ANNOUNCES 2024 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND VICE CHAUSER?

John was elected to represent District 12 in the Dutchess County Legislature and was beginning his fifth term as a legislator.

Dutchess County-wide election results - The Poughkeepsie Journal

As of October 26, 2026, John Metzger did not have a website or any information online.

John Metzger

As of October 26, 2026, John Metzger’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Helped organize ThinkDIFFERENTLY Day at the Beach, a community event with music, activities, and a hands-on bird program.

Dutchess County Legislator, District 12

Candidates (2)