A Conversation With Tony Puca

A mortgage officer, owner of an office furniture company and North Potomac resident since 1985, Tony Puca has been active in Maryland and national Democratic politics for the past 30 years.

Originally from Staten Island, NY, Puca raised four daughters in Montgomery County Public Schools. He ran for U.S. Congress twice and state senate once, and he's giving elected office one more shot with the run this year. In 1982, Puca helped lead the fight to defeat the banking deregulation bill in the Maryland legislature. With some recent health problems this year and given the extreme heat, he was unable to do much door-to-door campaigning. He is one of six Democrats running for House of Delegates for District 39 in Tuesday's primary. 

Puca is up against incumbents Charles E. Barkley and Kirill Reznik, both of Germantown.  Barkley has served in the legislature since 1999 and Reznik since 2006. Also running in 39 are Bob Hydorn, a businessman from Montgomery Village, Arthur Jackson of Gaithersburg and Shane Robinson of Montgomery Village, an associate at a nonprofit support company.  Registered Democrats can vote for up to three candidates. The top three vote earners go on to the general election in November.

Editor Jillian Badanes caught up with Puca at an area Starbucks. An edited and condensed version of their conversation follows.

North Potomac-Darnestown Patch: Why did you decide to run for House of Delegates?

Tony Puca: I turned 62, and I decided I wanted to decide what to do with the rest of my life. I could retire; I could travel; I could go to a beach on Florida. I could go live in my summer home in Delaware, but I decided the one thing I was most proud of in my life and the thing that gives me the biggest high in my life is helping others. From the time I was 6 years old, I have worked with the developmentally disabled and other groups. So I decided at the age of 62, I would run for the House of Delegates.

Every other candidate has a piece of literature that says we're in favor of education, mass transportation and the environment. We're all in favor of that. I'm going to go into office and go after the banks like I did in 1982 — that saved $20 billion and counting. I'm going to go after the insurance companies. By doing things like that, you can be a champion for the little guy. I mean, a lot of people talk about the little guy, and the moment you get elected you forget about the little guy.

In more than 38 years, I've done more for the people of this county and state than anyone who has been in office, and I prove it and as of now, no one has ever disproved me. So I wanted to go in, and I want to work. You need some big guys working for little guys.

I'm going to live four years. I'm going to live eight years. I'm going to spend my time helping the people who really need it.

Patch: You've run in elections before, but what do you think makes this one different?

Puca: I've never run for an open seat before. I've always run against strong incumbents who I felt deserved to be voted out. This is a funny campaign. I'm not knocking on doors. I'm physically unable to. I had a quadruple bypass, so I can't go out over 90 degrees. The entire campaign rests on one mailing piece that [went out on Friday]. If people read it, I'll win; if people don't read it, I won't win.

It's kind of like that Martin Scorcese movie called "The Last Waltz." … I went into the parade, the [Gaithersburg] Labor Day parade, and I was sitting in a BMW. I was all dressed up, and I had young people running in different districts come up to me and say, "Mr. Puca, I really looked forward to meeting you." I see Marty O'Malley, and I remind him I knew him when he was 17. … I see Doug Gansler, and I remind him I helped him get started.

Patch: What other ways have you been reaching out to voters?

Puca: I decided three months ago to do this. I had a quadruple bypass on this day three years ago. I got my ninth brain concussion two weeks ago. This whole campaign is predicated on getting a mailing out. I thought it was going to be two but it's not. I'll do one mailing, and it should carry me.

Patch: You're older than some of the other candidates. What benefits do you think your age provides?

Puca: It's the ability to get things done. Everyone said, "I'm in favor of education, the environment." And we all are. But no one ever tells you how to get the money. Say you're in favor of education. We're in debt. Where is that money coming from? It's the "dime-a-drink" money; it's the taxing banks money — a lot of other silly things. We need money to do things. People talk about the environment. I'm in favor of cleaning the environment. You know how you clean the environment? Remember how the Soviet Union had five-year plans? Well, you know what we do? We currently recycle 25 percent. We say by 2012 you have to recycle 45 percent. You put a cap on it, and if they don't do it, you fine them. 

Patch: What does your doctor think about you running?

Puca: I flatlined five times in the past four years. My doctor told me that as sick as it might seem, being in office is probably where I'll be most comfortable, because I'll be in my element doing what I want to do. In my case, I'd be so calm, and I would just say if I don't get it done today I'll try tomorrow. In life we have universal morality, we know what's right and we know what's wrong. We know what works we know what doesn't. Every day, if you can help 10 or 15 people, you're doing good. 

Patch: What issues do people in this area care about most?

Puca: Education, mass transit and the environment. That's what they say, but that's not what they really care about. They care about their houses being foreclosed on. A lot of them are unemployed, and they're afraid that their unemployment is running out. They're scared they're going to lose their jobs. Do they voice it? No. You know why? Because they're scared sometimes that if you voice it, that people will know that it's happened to you and you're embarrassed. Or they're scared that if you voice it, it might happen to you. People hate to admit when things are going bad.

Patch: What do you like to do around this area?

Puca: I like that the fact that Rio and Kentlands have really nice restaurants. I like CPK in Rio, and I like Thai Tanium in Kentlands. I like going to the movie theater here. Something you might not know: Time Magazine about a year ago did a listing of the most intelligent places in the world. Bethesda came out number one. Number 19 was North Potomac. In our county, we had four of the top 20 in the country