Niskayuna's Caroline McGraw running for Biden delegate in 20th Congress District

Niskayuna — Town resident Caroline McGraw hopes to become a delegate for Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden.

McGraw, a sophomore at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., is listed on the Democratic Party’s designating petition as a delegate for the New York presidential primary on April 28.

McGraw, 19, is in distinguished company on the delegates’ slate for the 20th Congressional District.

Other on the list are Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy; Albany County Legislator Wanda F. Willingham; Albany Chief City Auditor Dorcey L. Applyrs; Albany Common Council member John J. Flynn; Rensselaer County Legislator Carole Claren-Weaver; and Albany firefighter Edward Verhoff.

McGraw, who graduated from Niskayuna High School in 2018 and is studying political science and intelligence at Catholic, spent part of her holiday break in Iowa on the Biden campaign.

She was contacted in early December and asked to join the Iowa field operation.

“I met Vice President Biden in 2017 during his visit to Proctors and we hit it off immediately” McGraw said. “He really listened to me when I spoke. We connected.”

McGraw, now back in Washington, will again campaign for Biden during the run-up to the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus. She will be responsible for voter outreach and staffing campaign rallies in the Des Moines area.

McGraw, who also is scheduled to campaign in New Hampshire, believes Biden has the most experience to lead the country.

“I’m honored to get the opportunity to work toward his election,” she said.

McGraw is the daughter of David and Denise Murphy McGraw.

“The slate needs about 200 signatures of registered Democrats residing in the 20th Congressional District to actually get on the ballot,” said Denise Murphy McGraw, also a councilwoman on the Niskayuna Town Board.

McGraw also said Caroline, if elected, would be the first presidential delegate from Schenectady County since then-Mayor Brian Stratton was an alternate delegate for Barack Obama in 2008. “So it doesn’t come around Schenectady County very often,” she said.

If Biden wins the Democratic nomination for president, Caroline McGraw will be among the delegates who travel to the party’s National Convention, scheduled for July 13-16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

McGraw will be in the Niskayuna area this weekend collecting signatures for the petition. Volunteers will help.

Contact Gazette reporter Jeff Wilkin at 518-395-3124 or at [email protected]