Frieda Sabo and Jackie Miller take opposite sides of an argument that's sweeping New York's 27th Congressional District.
Sabo, like many Republicans in this deep-red swath of suburbs and small towns between Buffalo and Rochester, wants to send Rep. Chris Collins back to Congress.
"I always thought Chris Collins was a pretty good guy," said Sabo, 86, who dismisses the felony insider trading case against the Clarence Republican as the kind of scandal many politicians endure.
Miller sees things very differently.
"I wouldn't vote for Collins if he were the last man on earth," said Miller, a 76-year-old Democrat who, like Sabo, lives in the Orleans County town of Barre.
This difference of opinion among these two old friends is nothing unusual in the 27th District.
Neighbors Jackie Miller, left, and Frieda Sabo visit during the Apple Festival hosted by the United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest in Knowlesville. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News)
Dozens of interviews with voters there show that many Republicans, of every background, still support Collins.
Meanwhile, disgruntled Republicans and independents say Democrat Nathan McMurray offers them something an indicted incumbent can't: real representation.
Collins appears to maintain an edge because so many Republicans fear that losing this seat could mean losing control of the House of Representatives.
But Democrats say they hope to obliterate that edge with enthusiasm for an earnest, accessible candidate who, unlike Collins, isn't out on bail.
'Everyone is innocent until proven guilty'
The demographics that define this district come alive along U.S. Route 20A. Along the way you'll see dairy farms, villages that range from quaint to shabby, and pickup trucks – many with National Rifle Association bumper stickers.
Republicans outnumber Democrats by 40,000 in this district. A lot
