Tedra Cobb

On the day the House of Representatives votes on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, northern New York congressional candidate Tedra Cobb took her first stance on impeachment, saying she would vote in favor of it if she was in Congress.

“Given the seriousness of the charges and based on the overwhelming evidence that the President used $400 million in taxpayer money for his own personal, political gain, while risking our national security, I would vote in favor of impeachment,” the Democrat from Canton wrote in a press release. “We must ensure that anyone who occupies the highest office in the land never abuses the powers of that office.”

Before this, Cobb had not said whether she would support impeachment — only that she supported the probe into whether impeachment was warranted.

Cobb’s definitive stance comes after other congressional Democrats undecided on impeachment — including Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, and Peter Welch, D-Vt. –made up their minds in favor of voting to impeach, too.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose seat Cobb is running for, has since Dec. 11 tweeted almost daily that “the clock is ticking” for Cobb to tell voters her view on the impending impeachment vote. Stefanik tweeted the phrase “Tick tock, tick tock” seven times in the last eight days, with the latest tweet posted only moments before Cobb’s announcement email went out.

Stefanik quickly responded to Cobb’s stance in a tweet, saying Cobb “succumb(ed) to the pressure of Tinseltown.”

“My Far Left opponent #TaxinTedra supports impeachment,” Stefanik tweeted. “This is a campaign between bipartisan #Results vs. Far Left Hollywood #Resistance. … #WeCantWaitFor2020.”

Stefanik later released a statement reiterating her stance opposing impeachment.

“House Democrats failed to uphold their Constitutional duty and instead pursued a partisan impeachment process due to their visceral disdain for President Trump and the will of the American people who elected him,” Stefanik wrote in a press release.

Stefanik said she did not see enough evidence of impeachable offenses – high crimes and misdemeanors, bribery or treason. She said that because security assistance and defensive lethal aid were eventually provided to Ukraine, and because there was no investigation into the Bidens, that means there was no quid pro quo.

In Cobb’s announcement, she urged members of Congress get back to “get to work on the issues they were sent there to address,” namely improving the cost and services of health care, Cobb’s main platform.

No other candidates have announced they are running for the NY-21 seat in 2020.

The race gained national attention when Stefanik staunchly defended Trump in nationally televised impeachment hearings of the House Intelligence Committee. Both Stefanik and Cobb drew in seven-figure totals of campaign donations from around the country.