Dylan Ratigan said he has long thought about running for Congress, but had trouble untangling himself from a business that encourages veterans to set up solar-powered hydroponic farms. | Jimmy Vielkind/POLITICO Dylan Ratigan declares for Congress, shakes up Stefanik race

SARANAC LAKE — Former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan declared his candidacy for Congress on Wednesday, cannonballing into the wide, shallow pool of Democrats hoping to challenge Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik in the northern reaches of New York state.

The 45-year-old is the ninth Democrat to seek the nomination in the 12-county 21st Congressional District, which has been a safe Republican bastion — minus five years of Democratic representation by Bill Owens during the Obama administration — since the Civil War. Stefanik was elected in 2014.


Ratigan said he has long thought about running for Congress, but had trouble untangling himself from a business that encourages veterans to set up solar-powered hydroponic farms and was increasingly dismayed with the “carnival” atmosphere of current political discourse.

“I’m presenting myself as who I am, with an intention to present myself as someone who can bring a level of resources and opportunity to this district that is unlike anyone else who’s running and can marry that with my understanding and knowledge of the district with a family that goes back to the 1700s,” he said. “I’m running because I actually believe that I have been trained over the course of my career ... to represent this district in a way that is higher-profile, [brings] more resources, more capacity, more opportunity than anybody that’s in this race right now.”

He spoke for 31 minutes in an upstairs room at the town hall here, before a crowd of more than 50 people that included his uncle, a local Catholic priest; about a dozen reporters; and a snuggly Hovawart named Birdie. The candidate’s mother jokingly introduced the dog as his sister.

Ratigan did not mention Stefanik or President Donald Trump by name. He said political campaigns are an "industry" made up of polls and tailoring "content" to play on the emotions of voters. He spoke without a script, and apologized that he did not acknowledge any of the officials he was supposed to thank. He had a regular colloquy with some of the attendees, including reporters, and joked when he used a “platitude."

He then pre-emptively discussed several “bombs” that would emerge during the campaign, including angry on-air rants, smoking marijuana and the fact that he has never voted and only last week registered to vote in the district.

“I was disgusted by the choices available to me," he said when discussing his absence from the voting booth. "When Donald Trump was on the ballot, it made a lot of sense to me because Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush had all become so detached from the American people and had so indulged themselves in the ability to run campaign commercials and support their lifestyle that it made sense both Bernie [Sanders] and Donald Trump were there."

Ratigan took questions from reporters and the audience for almost as long as he spoke, including one journalist who read aloud a comment from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

“It’s only fitting that Dylan Ratigan would move from New York City and the first vote he casts will be for himself,” spokesman Chris Martin stated. “He’s a liberal talking head with no voting record, and now he’s running for Congress in a desperate grasp for relevance.”

“That’s awesome,” Ratigan said. “Google my name. You’ll see that I was probably the most aggressive in criticizing both the Obama administration and how they dealt with health care … how they dealt with the banking crisis.”

Ratigan said he established his home in Lake Placid in 2012, but acknowledged that he has been traveling extensively around the country. He wrote a book called “Greedy Bastards” before leaving MSNBC in 2012, and is now managing partner of Helical Holdings.

Democrats face an uphill battle in the 21st district, which includes the Adirondack Park as well as the Champlain and St. Lawrence valleys. The Cook Political Report rates it as solidly Republican, and Stefanik has amassed a war chest of $1.2 million — more than four times as much as the best-endowed Democratic challenger.

The field of Democratic candidates includes several with long ties to the district and others who have recently moved in, sensing opportunity in what they believe will be a blue year. Saratoga County Democratic Chairman Todd Kerner predicted the field will narrow with Ratigan’s entry.

“I think at the end of the day, he’s going to be the Democratic candidate because he can elevate the issues and possesses an ability to discuss them that nobody else possesses at this time,” Kerner said. “There’s a lot of smart, well-intentioned candidates … but if you’re looking at someone who is going to flip this seat and get Elise talking about the real issues facing people in the district, he’s the one who can do it.”

The other Democratic candidates are Tanya Boone, Don Boyajian, Tedra Cobb, Ronald Kim, Patrick Nelson, Emily Martz, Katie Wilson and Sara Idleman. Martz issued a pointed statement on the eve of Ratigan’s announcement.

“Doing the same thing and expecting different results is definition of insanity," she said. "It's the age of women, and it's the age of the regular guy in rural America working hard to feed his family. We've had enough of self-serving, wealthy individuals taking advantage of the North Country, peddling their wealth and notoriety to bolster their own agenda. We have real challenges and we need a real North Country woman and leader to deal with them.”

Candidates will begin circulating nominating petitions early next month. Ratigan is being advised by Joe Trippi — a veteran consultant and an architect of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential run — and said he has been “encouraged” by Democrats in the district and in Washington.

And his offbeat style? Saranac Lake Mayor Clyde Rabideau said he was “unique” but “passionate” and “learned.” Ratigan laughed when asked by a reporter whether there were shades of Hunter Thompson’s satirical run for sheriff in his current campaign.

“If you look at who I am and what I have said, it is impossible for me to run a congressional campaign without being utterly transparent about what the actual process is,” he said. “The answer is it’s all of the above, but the fundamental motivation is to improve the level of seriousness in Congress and represent the interests of this district.”