David Wagenhauser, Congressional candidate in NY-24, dies at age 65
Photo by Tom Rivers: David Wagenhauser speaks during a July 6 event in Albion that also included State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Wagenhauser ran for the NY-24th district that includes Orleans and about a dozen other counties. He lost to Claudia Tenney in a district with a heavy Republican enrollment advantage.
David Wagenhauser, a Democrat who ran for Congress in the NY-24th District, has passed away at age 65.
Wagenhauser is being praised for giving voters a choice in a district with a heavy Republican advantage. He lost the election this past November to Claudia Tenney.
“He was a common-sense, realistic moderate,” said Jess Marciano, a Medina village trustee who is active in the Orleans County Democratic Party. “I was very excited for his campaign. I don’t feel well represented by Claudia Tenney.”
Wagenhauser went door to door in Medina, and learned about local issues, Marciano said, including the STAMP manufacturing site just across the Orleans County border in the Town of Alabama, and the prospect of large wind turbines in Shelby.
Wagenhauser, a retired lawyer from Waterloo in Seneca County, made the trek frequently across the sprawling district.
He died on Jan. 11. His calling hours are from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday at Doran Funeral Home in Seneca Falls. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Waterloo.
Wagenhauser grew up in Spencerport and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at SUNY Brockport and put himself through law school at Syracuse University. He was a marathon runner and a self-taught carpenter who enjoyed restoring his old home in Waterloo.
In a message posted on his campaign website, he said Congressional representatives from Upstate don’t do enough to help the area with better job prospects and a more affordable cost of living. He longed for a bipartisan approach with less bickering in Congress. He blamed “extremists and ultra-partisans” for making governing “a chaotic nightmare where finger pointing and insults replace common sense, hard work and achieving real results.”
“I’m not a knee-jerk Democrat,” he wrote. “I believe in getting things done to make people’s lives better. It starts with finding common ground. I’ll work with anyone who can help me in my fight to deliver results for the people and communities of Upstate NY.”
His daughter, Dana Wagenhauser, served as his campaign manager.
“My father was a fighter for all – family, friends, and strangers alike – until the end,” she posted on Facebook, informing his supporters of his death. “His fierce intellect, conviction, and heart will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
“A strong and confident man, my father worked very hard in his effort to represent the people of the district, with the goal of being a voice for those who were not being heard. It was an exhausting endeavor, and we thank each of you for all you did for us during the campaign season. We could not have done it without you.”
