Lynn Kahn, a clinical psychologist and author, says she's uniquely qualified to transform the way government works.

An unconventional campaign

When NCPR showed up at Lynn Kahn’s home in Schroon Lake, we expected to find the usual activity that comes with a congressional campaign in the final months of a race: chaos, people, phones ringing. Instead Kahn took us into the kitchen. We were alone and it turned out and Kahn was making lunch. "Are you vegetarian?" she asked.

This was super nice hospitality but more than a bit out of the ordinary. There was no sign here that Kahn was a congressional candidate, no buzz, no energy. It was the day after the Democratic primary and Kahn brought up the fact that Tedra Cobb from Canton won decisively.

Kahn says she's the better choice

"I'm going to beat her," she answered. "I'm better. I have decades of experience driving real solutions to complicated problems. There isn't anybody in the country running for office who has that kind of... experience."

"My PhD is in clinical psychology. My area of expertise is group dynamics. Instead of doing family therapy or group therapy, I went into government agencies to fix agencies."

A bid for the White House, a plan to change America

Kahn describes herself as a fiscal conservative and says as Commander in Chief she hoped to strip a trillion dollars in waste from the Federal budget. From her home she’s developed what she says are plans that will transform the way government works.

What about the North Country?

Kahn has a couple of big issues that she’s focused on. She says as a Green Party candidate she’s also positioned well to work toward global peace. She also wants to transform America’s foster care system.

Kahn’s platform includes five priorities ranging from the environment to creating green jobs. They’re all pretty national in scope, nothing that’s completely specific to the North Country. As along-time seasonal resident who moved to Schroon Lake full-time two years ago, she acknowledges that she’s not deeply familiar with the region.

"I've traveled around. When I was running before [for President] I was based here," she said. "So I've been listening to people, I've been listening to small business owners. No, I don't know District 21 as well as people who were born here and grew up here. I don't."

Is this campaign serious and credible?

The last two election cycles, the Green Party ran Matt Funiciello, a candidate from the Glens Falls area who captured the imagination of a lot of voters. He ran a credible active campaign, with a lot of volunteers.

I pressed Kahn on the question of how serious a campaign she plans to run through November.

"I expect to win, I'm running to win," Kahn said. But when pressed to describe her organization, she could offer few details: "I'm starting, this has all been warm-up for me."

I expect to win, I'm running to win In an email this week, Kahn detailed a dozen people who are volunteering in various roles on her campaign, but she still doesn’t have a campaign manager. She says she’s raised only about a thousand dollars for her effort.

There’s little sign of activity on her social media feeds, nothing like the kind of grassroots energy that a third-party candidate would need in a sprawling district like the North Country to be competitive.

Still, she remains convinced that her message and her ideas will resonate. "I have a lot of support. I have a lot of folks who are helping and who want to help. I just have to turn the switch," she said.

Kahn will face incumbent Republican Elise Stefanik and Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb on the November ballot.