Via CNY

UTICA, N.Y. (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – A businessman originally from Johnstown, Harry Wilson, launched his bid for governor on Feb. 22. Eyewitness News spoke with Wilson about what inspired him to run, and the main issues he hopes to focus on.

“What are the core priorities of an organization, in this case, state government. Well, it’s to keep people safe, make sure people have a high quality of living, create jobs so people come here and have personal freedom and opportunity and I think the state is failing on all of those dimensions and that’s why I’m running for governor,” said Harry Wilson.

Wilson said his main focus will be on taxes, cost of living, and crime as well as uniting upstate with downstate New York and bridging the divide.

“My approach would be to have targeted programs focused on addressing the biggest problems in each region and tackling those. For example one of the big problems in this area is the loss of manufacturing jobs all that is driven by bad policies.

Wilson was a favored candidate in 2018 but did not end up running. He says at the time it did not make sense for his family. Previously, he worked in the U.S. Treasury Department and the Auto Industry Task Force during the Obama Administration. He also ran for New York State Comptroller in 2010. After living most of his life in the private sector, Wilson explains why he would be fit to be Governor of New York. 

“I think I’ve got the experience and success of having to get out there and build political support to actually win. My one actual government experience I was a volunteer for what became the Auto Task Force, I oversaw the turnarounds of the American Auto Industry, and I was personally responsible for the turnaround and restructuring. You take that same skill set of political experience, my turnaround experience, and use that to fix Albany,” said Wilson.