Democrat Dana Balter on Thursday promised that if elected to Congress she will be accessible to Central New Yorkers by holding regular town hall meetings, meeting one-on-one with residents, and explaining her positions publicly before every substantive vote.

Balter, 42, of Syracuse, made her pledge to voters in the 24th Congressional District during her first Facebook Live interview on the syracuse.com Facebook page.

In a wide-ranging interview, Balter also said she wants to legalize marijuana, opposes term limits for members of Congress, and won't commit to voting for Nancy Pelosi to lead House Democrats.

Live video: Congressional candidate Dana Balter answers questions from readers as she runs for Central New York’s 24th district. Have questions for Balter? Ask them in the comments. Posted by syracuse.com on Thursday, June 7, 2018

Balter, who faces Syracuse Democrat Juanita Perez Williams in a June 26 primary election, spent more time defining her differences with incumbent Rep. John Katko than with Perez Williams.

"One of the ways he has disappointed me the most has been his unwillingness to engage with those of us who live in this district," Balter said of Katko, a two-term Republican from Camillus.

Balter said Katko has shown a tendency to avoid open-forum public meetings or to engage with those who contact his office to find out about his positions on key issues.

"What I am talking about is open-access town hall meetings where anybody is welcome to attend, without pre-screened questions," Balter said of her plans to communicate with constituents. "We deserve a representative who is going to engage with us."

Perez Williams will answer reader questions in a Facebook Live interview on the syracuse.com Facebook page at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 12.

Here's a look at what Balter had to say on other key issues in response to reader questions:

Legalizing marijuana

Balter said she supports legalizing marijuana under federal law. "People who are using marijuana do not belong in our overcrowded mass incarceration system," she said.

Balter noted that a "huge percentage" of people who are addicted to opioids started out using them as pain medication. She said legal marijuana used for pain management could help ease the opioid crisis facing the nation.

"Marijuana can be a very effective pain management strategy that does not have the same outcome" as opioids, Balter said. "It does not cause the same problems for people."

Would she vote to impeach President Donald Trump?

Balter said it's too early in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election to talk about impeaching President Trump.

"I think what we need to do in Congress is protect that investigation and make sure Robert Mueller cannot be fired, and let that play out," Balter said.

"There's absolutely a lot there," she said. "There is a lot of evidence (Trump) and his entire campaign were engaged, at minimum, in unethical behavior."

But Balter said it's not appropriate to talk about impeachment unless facts suggest Congress needs to act.

"When we are talking about impeaching a president we are talking about a very serious process, and we can't enter into it lightly," Balter said.

If elected, would you vote for Nancy Pelosi to lead House Democrats?

Balter would not commit to voting for Pelosi to lead Democrats in the next Congress in 2019.

"I don't really know an answer to this question because when I choose a candidate for any election I look at the candidates," Balter said, "and I don't know who's running."

But Balter made it clear she's not happy with long-time Democratic leaders. In 2007, Pelosi become the first woman elected as House Speaker, and she has served as the Democratic minority leader since 2011.

"I think we are stuck in the old way of doing things, and we need not only new energy but a new approach," Balter said, adding Democratic leaders need to reflect the will of the people, rather than established powers and donors.

In the neighboring 22nd Congressional District, Democratic candidate Anthony Brindisi has said he will not vote for Pelosi to lead the party.

Do you favor term limits?

Balter said she's against term limits, but wants to address the concern many voters have about elected officials becoming too comfortable and losing their incentive to work for the people.

She said the solution "is to make sure our elections are really free and fair" through a combination of campaign finance reform, putting an end to gerrymandering, and easing access to the ballot.

Balter said she supports public financing of elections, automatic voter registration and making it easier for voters to cast absentee ballots.

What's your work background?

Balter, a visiting assistant teaching professor at Syracuse University, said she began her career at Chapel Haven, a nonprofit residential school and independent living facility in New Haven, Conn., for adults with cognitive disabilities.

Her younger brother, Jonathan, is a client of the organization, Balter said.

After moving to Syracuse to attend and work at SU, Balter said she had to put her career while trying to recover from a severe injury.

"Shortly after I first moved to Syracuse, when I was about a year into my doctoral program, I had a head injury that left me with a pretty severe concussion," Balter said, adding it took many years to recover. "I am now healthy and I don't foresee any reason why that would present problems or challenges in the future."

Where could you work with President Trump and Republicans?

"There are a lot of things we agree on and there are a lot of things where we have the same goal," Balter said. "We just have a different way of getting there."

Balter said she remains hopeful Republican and Democrats can work together on a plan to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, something she said is sorely needed in Central New York.

Trump has favored rebuilding infrastructure by using public money to leverage private partnerships. Democrats such as U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer disagree, saying private investors would have no incentive to build in slow-growth areas such as Upstate New York.

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