State senate candidate Paloma Capanna recently kicked off her campaign by walking from Webster to Lansing, more than 150 miles across New York's 54th Senate District. Capanna is hopeful that meeting her constituents on foot and in person will help rally support for her campaign against incumbent Michael Nozzolio.

Like most politicians, Capanna promises reform in health insurance, property taxes and retirement benefits. But what sets Capanna apart from Nozzolio is not her platform as much as her approach to politics.

Capanna chooses to see the district not as red or blue, but as purple. Affordable health insurance, greener living and a secure retirement are issues that affect everyone, regardless of party, and Capanna hopes to bring some fresh ideas to the state Senate.

But single-party politics have taken over our region. A tried and true red district, it is nearly impossible for a Democratic candidate to win an election.

I've heard people complain that nothing ever changes no matter who you vote for, but in truth nothing ever changes when you keep voting for members of the same fraternity.

What is stopping a party from concealing its activities from outsiders when there is no opposition present?

And Capanna certainly understands the importance of breaking this cycle.

A 2006 candidate against Jim Walsh for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Capanna withdrew her candidacy to avoid forcing a primary against Democrat Dan Maffei.

But complacent, long term incumbents like Nozzolio have prompted Capanna to throw her hat in the ring again.

With a non-partisan approach to politics, Capanna is a candidate who could, perhaps, break through. But her success will depend a lot on the public's willingness to break old habits.

This district needs to start seeing politics in terms of individual representatives, rather than donkeys and elephants. With our agricultural economy struggling and more and more jobs being outsourced, the district is in desperate need of fresh ideas.

Capanna's campaign slogan is “Do you have a dollar for democracy?”

Urging people in the district to donate a small amount to her campaign fund, Capanna has stated that based on early contributions, it seems as though the region is receptive to change.

Estabrook's column appears Mondays and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com