The SAM political party, or the Serve America Movement, was developed in New York in 2017 with the aim of being inclusive of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, allowing these usually disparate parties to come together to fix what SAM representatives view as the broken politics affecting New Yorkers.
There are 38 New York candidates running on the SAM party line in the November elections, including 15 for state Senate, 12 for the Assembly, seven for Congress, three village trustees, and one district attorney. Former Pelham mayor and SAM NY chairman Michael Volpe states, “SAM NY candidates for 2020 understand that now, more than ever, New Yorkers need to come together and try to solve the issues that face us, not through partisanship, but through fact-based solutions.”
Scott Smith is running on the SAM ticket for NY’s 18th Congressional District this November.
Working locally, starting in villages, towns, and counties across New York State to build a party of diverse voices and minds, SAM asserts it is attempting “to fix a system that has been corrupted by the mainstream parties and the people who prop them up.”
The party hopes to produce candidates that will reform New York State education, healthcare, political corruption, economic growth, and taxes. To have real reform, SAM NY aims to fix what they see as a culture of corruption, to revitalize the state economy, to address the high cost of living that disproportionately affects non-NYC residents, to improve educational opportunities and training agendas to make adults ready for the competitive workforce, and to create accountability while reducing healthcare costs.
The 2020 SAM NY candidates are of varying political stripes. “We sought out candidates who bring a record of accomplishment in their communities,” continues Volpe, “but we also had candidates reach out with an interest in running on the SAM line based on what we represent. Our 38 candidates are all highly qualified for the offices they seek. Each of them is committed to service based on a principle of working with others regardless of political affiliation.”
Since SAM NY 2020 candidates and officials aim to commit themselves to objective and verifiable standards of transparency, the party will be releasing a rating rubric called a SAM Score.
