Tedra Cobb, right, listens as Madeline Thibault, president of St. Lawrence County Young Democrats, and Jessi Tracy, president of SLU Democrats, speak in Canton Tuesday. (Photo — Watertown Daily Times)

CANTON — Democratic congressional candidate Tedra Cobb held her first news conference of the campaign outside the St. Lawrence Court House on Tuesday to talk about youth involvement in politics.

Cobb, who is trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, moved to the North Country for college and began her work in politics here. During college, she said she participated in a rally outside the St. Lawrence courthouse over a proposed incinerator, and one of the county legislators in attendance turned his back on the protesters. At that moment, Cobb said, she knew she wanted to run for office.

“The day Elise Stefanik voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, I felt the same way,” she told the small crowd of supporters and media that had gathered for the news conference.

Along with issues like health care, the environment and the economy, Cobb said she is running in part to involve young people in the political process.

“That’s how we engage young people, we talk to them and we invite them to participate in the political process,” she said.

With Cobb were two young Democratic leaders: Madeline Thibault, president of St. Lawrence County Young Democrats, and Jessi Tracy, president of SLU Democrats.

“I’m involved with politics and activism because when I was in second grade, I was told by a classmate there would never be a woman president because it was a man’s job,” Thibault told the audience.

Thibault, who volunteers with Cobb’s campaign, talked about growing up in Massena with a mother who is a teacher and a father who was laid off after 14 years of working at the General Electric plant, as well as classmates who overdosed on opioids.

“I’m involved in politics and activism because I love the North Country,” she said. “I want jobs here, I want people to live here.”

Tracy spoke about her gradual involvement in politics and its pervasiveness in everyday life as she encouraged other young people to engage in the process.

“Politics aren’t elitist,” she said. “Life is inherently political.”

The notification for the news conference indicated Cobb would also discuss the use of trackers by the National Republican Congressional Committee, but she never did. Last week, North Country Public Radio found that the NRCC had hired up to five trackers in New York’s 21st Congressional District to record Democratic candidates.

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Education platform

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After the conference, Cobb spoke to the Times about an issue that is particularly relevant for young people — education.

Cobb has been vocal about federal support for pre-K programs back to the primaries.

“We know pre-K and education is an equalizer,” she said. “Pre-K is only half day, we could invest in pre-K full day.”

As for college students, she thinks the federal government needs to help prevent excessive student debt.

“There are people … who are on social security and still paying student debt,” she said. “I don’t think the federal government should be making money off student loans.”

Cobb thinks the government should set a low rate of interest for student loans — she does not have a specific number, but somewhere in the one to two percent range. She also supports collaboration between different institutions, public and private, to help people move through high school programs, community colleges, state colleges and private universities as they work on certifications.

Asked about various proposals for tuition free education — for community colleges or, like New York’s Excelsior program, for all state schools — Cobb said she would have to learn more about how proposals would affect both students and universities. As in many areas, Cobb’s proposals on education are principles, rather than specific policies she supports.

“To me, it’s looking at the opportunity and seeing what is the best solution,” she said. When forming a policy, “we need everyone with experience at the table.”

Cobb said she will try to build policies that meet her values and then vote for them, something she said her opponent does not always do.

“It’s the principle that drives me,” she said. “Elise Stefanik will talk about policies, or a policy, but not then vote the value. … The policies should follow the values.”

Cobb referenced her experience as a St. Lawrence County legislator, and trying to develop coherent policy through the back and forth of negotiations. It is this ability, and her principles, rather than specific policies, that she hopes to be elected on.

“What people want is elected officials to be open, accessible and consistent,” she said.

Those values, Cobb said, come from her experience of living in the North Country. Going back to the issue of health care, Cobb pointed out that her husband, who was in attendance, was wearing a boot for a broken foot and had since May, because the family health care deductible is $10,000.

“I know first hand the struggles we have,” she said. “This is about all of us in the North Country as we try to eke out an existence, as we try to support each other here.”

Asked about the lack of support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Cobb reiterated her local roots.

“I am running this race for the people of the North Country,” she said. “I am here, I am from here, I am for here, I am of here, and I have gotten this far by engaging and by building a team throughout this region. I don’t need the DCCC to give me advice on how to run in the North Country.”