Cynthia Nixon, running in the Democratic Primary for Governor, was recently asked where she thought “Upstate” started and she said she thought it was “somewhere around Ithaca.” Everyone Upstate chuckled about that. There has always been debate about it, but the consensus has generally been that anything north and west of the Tappan Zee Bridge could qualify as being “Upstate.” (An Assemblyman friend of mine from Manhattan once introduced me to his mother as a “friend from Upstate.” Her response was: “Oh, that’s nice. I’ve been to Poughkeepsie!”)
Ithaca, known by some as the “Independent Republic of Ithaca,” is actually an island of liberally-minded, highly educated voters hunkered around the halls of Cornell University. It could more readily be incorporated into New York City than Upstate.
The division between Upstate and Downstate has been around at least as far back as Martin Van Buren (circa 1830.) Though Andrew Jackson was popular in rural New York, the Democratic Party built by Van Buren was focused in New York City. It was the fear of Downstate by Upstate that eventually led to the Republican Party becoming the bastion of Upstate political clout… a position which it still solidly holds.
So, the upstate/downstate division in New York State goes way back. It is cultural: urban vs. rural. It is economic: manufacturing and agriculture vs. the financial industry and banking. It is political: Republican upstate and Democratic in the City and many of its suburbs.
What has changed over the years is that the New York City urban area has participated in the economic and population growth of the country, but Upstate has languished. Republicans have become stronger Upstate, but over a diminished piece of the pie. There are now over 2 million more Democrats than Republicans in the State. The urban area around New York City continues to be the “tail that wags the dog”… much more now than in the past.
We don’t like being pushed around, out-voted, told what our social policies should be, and treated like a second-rate step child.
The one thing that hasn’t changed is the minority status of we Upstaters. The New York City area has always been our big cousin that we resent because of its bigness and smugness. Economically, it actually contributes much more to the treasury of the State of New York than we do but, to us, that is incidental.
We are worried that downstate Democrats will soon take over the State Senate, and then every political office and power center in Albany will be in hands of those south of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Alas, this has always been our trial and our tale of the two states which make up the one we call New York.
Rolland Kidder
Stow, NY
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