Aileen Gunther will miss chatting with her constituents

Just over 20 years ago, tragedy struck Assembly Member Aileen Gunther’s life when her husband, former Assembly Member Jake Gunther, died of cancer. But with his passing, she saw an opportunity to continue his work in the state Legislature, running for and winning his old Hudson Valley seat in 2003. Two decades later, Gunther has decided the time has come to retire. As she prepares to hand over the reins of her office, she spoke with City & State about the personal interactions with constituents that she will remember, divine intervention and her message for the governor. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are you thinking about in terms of what comes next as you prepare to retire?

The thing that I like to do the most is I like working with people. I’m a registered nurse. I was the infectious disease nurse at the hospital when the incidence of HIV was one of the highest in Sullivan County. So I worked with that. I did risk management, performance improvement, and I like working with people. I’m not really a desperate person. I’m a person that likes to be out and about, listening and helping.

As you’re preparing to leave office after two decades, what do you think you’re going to miss most?

I’ve always been somebody that is a people person, and I always liked helping folks. There’s a gentleman that comes in and he lives alone, he has Parkinson’s, and he comes and he sits and he has a cup of coffee. I’m not getting him money, he’s not asking for anything. He just likes your company. Do you understand what I’m saying? So those are the things. 

I’m standing here with (my friend and employee) Jean and she had this fellow that came in for probably two years. When he came in, he needed help, like medical help, and for two years – he didn’t have teeth, so his nutrition was poor, (it) wasn’t good for his health. And finally – finally – Jean was able to get him teeth. You would think, “Wow, that’s something that a lot of people get.” But this man would not have gotten them if he wasn’t in our office. People go about things in different ways. Helping people is something we both like to do. I’ll miss that more than anything. And I think a lot of people will miss coming in and seeing me every day.

How have you translated that – listening to people, interacting with constituents – to your work in the state Capitol?

Well, anything – like being chair of (the) Mental Health (Committee), passing bills and getting increased money for those that are suffering with mental health issues. With the nurses, when they were on the floor and they were getting 10 patients, I passed safe staffing because I knew it was important to all of them across New York state. Women and men who are nurses, they were leaving. 

Every day was a new day in our office. Someone would come with something you might not have heard before, and then you have to call different agencies to try to get help. That's what it's all about. It's about helping people. You do bring money back from Albany. You ask for money for some of the not-for-profits in the area, etc. We all work together, and we have to advocate for your community, and that's what I did. I'm an old Bronx girl, so I'm pretty good about advocating. I'm not easy to shut up.

You mentioned safe staffing when you announced your retirement as one of your biggest accomplishments. What are some other standout moments or legislation from the past 20 years?

Anybody can look up the more than 100 bills that I passed, that were passed into law. That's one thing. But more than anything, it was about working with the people in Sullivan and Orange County and helping them solve issues that they couldn't do by themselves. So that's my standout. That's what really makes this office one of the best offices in New York state. And I'm going to say it because I always made sure that the people that worked for me responded to the needs of my community. And as a nurse, that's what I did, and as an assemblywoman, that's what I did. A lot of people have said they've got big shoes to fill. I think that there's a lot of truism to that, because I've seen the way other people work. I'm sure that the new person has people that's going to work with them, that worked with me, and I'm sure that they'll continue my work.

You came into office under tragic circumstances. Did you ever envision yourself going into office, and how did those circumstances influence the kind of legislator you chose to be?

I knew a lot about it from having Jake as the assemblyperson. After he passed, in a not very short period of time – I always knew what he was doing, and this, that and the other thing. I don't know if it's divine intervention. I heard this person wanted to run, and this person, and I thought to myself, “You know what? I worked on campaigns for him.” I knew what the goings-on were. I was part of the Democratic Party in Forestburgh. And I thought to myself, “Why not me?” One of four kids, came from an Irish, very middle class background, self-confidence in the middle. Maybe it was God's intervention or whatever. But I said, “Why not me and I'm going to do it.” And I announced it.

Did you think when you announced that you’d still be here 20 years later?

I didn't even think that far into the future, to be quite frank with you. But I stayed for all these years and loved what I did. So I didn't really think about the next day or the next day. I think living in the moment is much more important. So now I have six grandchildren all over the place and looking for a part-time job, I'm looking at my friend Jean. Both of us want to keep busy. We graduated from high school together, so we both want to keep busy, and we want to be part of the community, and I'm sure we'll figure out something new.

Is there anyone right now you think would be a good fit to replace you as chair of Mental Health?

Marriane Buttenschon. For Mental Health, Marianne Buttenschon. That’s who I think would be very good because she has so much experience as a social worker. She's worked with all kinds of folks like that. And she's really, really smart. If the speaker is looking for someone in the know, she’s in the know.

There’s been a lot of hand-wringing among the Democratic Party after the presidential election in the state about underperforming or overperforming. 

Not on a federal level, but on a state level. Big issues here. People don't have housing. Low-income people do not have housing in Sullivan County, in our counties. It's just tragic that we are seeing people, families, moms with babies, living in hotels. To see a woman with two children in a hotel room, a damp and not really nice one even – it's not even nice. But it's happening all over New York state. What happened to affordable housing? Kathy Hochul, get with it. I hear about New York City, I hear about Buffalo, I hear about Syracuse. What about us? What about our children in our community that do not have a place to live? It’s just awful.

What advice do you have for incoming members or people might be thinking about running for office who might not have envisioned that for themselves?

What I would say is that if you care about people in your community and you feel you can make a difference, run for office. Don't be afraid. Sometimes you lose the first time. You could lose the second time, but maybe the third time you're in it.

In terms of approaching the office, what would you impart on new members?

The first thing is that you always have to remember you're the same as the constituents. Sometimes people get an inflated view of themselves when they win this election. It would be like asking someone to carry your books. Bottom line is that you have to realize that you're part of a team. The inflated egos need to go to the wayside. And there's a lot of people with inflated egos. And you know what? Carry your own books, carry your own bag, do everything that anybody else would do in the office. Because you are all there to work as a team doing the same thing for the people that we represent. Be yourself, and don't change just because you have a new position.