A real Biggs idea

Adam Biggs wears many hats at Notre Dame Bishop-Gibbons School.

At 31, Biggs is the English department chair, co-director of the musical and spring play, co-director of the National Honor Society and textbook coordinator.

Biggs would like to throw one more hat into the ring, the political ring that is. Biggs is running for the Fifth Ward seat on the Cohoes Common Council and will face off against Republican Charlie Davis in November. 

“I have always had an interest (in politics), but I knew I wanted to be a teacher so that was always the primary goal,” said Biggs, who teaches six English course at ND-BG. “My interest in politics started in high school when I started running for class president. … this year, the council seat was open, and I really thought about, and I decided I should run because I thought I could make a difference. The big message I brought to the constituents of the city was I am a teacher and I love my job, but I just want to make a difference and I am not a politician.”

The democratic primary in June was unique in the fact that Biggs and Kathleen Donovan tied with 286 votes each. In the second go-round in August, Biggs edged out Donovan, 256-249. 

“The Cohoes Common Council primary win of our English teacher Adam Biggs has served as an important lesson to our students on civics and democracy in the United States,” Kiante Jones, principal at ND-BG said. “Many of our students have closely followed the campaign and have even had the opportunity to learn directly from Mr. Biggs on how to run for office, develop a political platform, and fundraise for a political campaign.”

Biggs — who said one of his favorites plays “Macbeth” would not be such a good guide politically — wants to be a role model for the student body.

“I would hope the students would see (my many roles) as something they can really emulate and buy into this idea that they can really accomplish a lot of really different things,” he said. “That is my message for them.”

As for his message for the people of Cohoes? Biggs says he is not big into party politics.

“When I go out, I try to talk about the value that the person brings to the office, that party isn’t necessarily the most important thing, or at all,” Biggs said. “The one lesson that I talked to the students (when they talked about the importance of 9/11), is that we didn’t talk about political parties, we all were part of one family and I think that is the message I try to bring to the classroom and to the voters. To me, it’s not a job, it doesn’t feel like work.”

During the next month, in between rehearsals for the musical, Biggs will be canvassing in Cohoes, going door-to-door “talking to voters, reminding them who I am, introducing myself to people I haven’t met yet, and letting them know what I plan to do and see what they would like to see me do in office. It’s all about the personal interactions and how can I help them take care of the issues they are seeing in terms of streets or safety. It’s about the everyday concerns.”

Biggs’ message has also been shaped by his faith.

“Our Catholic faith really teaches us how to embrace others and embrace diversity,” said Biggs, who attends The Church of the Holy Trinity in Cohoes.

“I think it’s important that our students learn how to accept others and how to bridge divides and I think the faith gives us that platform. And my hope is that through my lessons and the literature that we read, we can talk about ways to do that.”