I asked both Mr. Amedore and Mr. Tedisco on Tuesday night what they thought of being a possibility of being the nominee. As I previously stated, I don't know if we want to lose either one of these gentlemen at this point, but Mr. Tedisco stated that he hasn't even had a chance to start thinking about it yet.
but Mr. Tedisco stated that he hasn't even had a chance to start thinking about it yet.
I hardly doubt that statement. I'm sure that has been on his mind from the day he heard that McNulty wasn't going to run again. That is what politicians do! They all want to further their political career. And clearly Mr. Tedisco is no different!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Candidates lining up to replace McNulty, challenge Gillibrand BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter
A contest based on age and geography is taking shape among Democrats hoping to succeed U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, who is retiring at the end of next year. “Age and gender are both issues,” said Susan Savage, DNiskayuna, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature. Savage is 46. She said that she is “strongly considering” running and that women especially are encouraging her to do so. If she does run, Savage said, she would drop her part-time position as a lobbyist for The Medical Society of the State of New York. Another potential candidate from the county is Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton, 50. If he were to enter the race and win, he would be following in the footsteps of his father, Sam Stratton, who held the seat before McNulty and before that was mayor of Schenectady. Albany County is the biggest in McNulty’s district, and three of the county’s state legislators — Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar, Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, and Assemblyman Jack McEneny, D-Albany — are potential candidates for the congressional seat. All are in their mid 60s and have been easily re-elected in their districts for many years. In last week’s local elections, Stratton won re-election by a landslide and Savage saw her party retain its 11-4 advantage in the county Legislature. Breslin has indicated that he intends to run, Canestrari was ambivalent and McEneny sounded reluctant but declined to rule it out. Another potential candidate is the 59-year-old mayor of Albany, Jerry Jennings. “Why would I want a part-time job?” Jennings joked when asked about the congressional seat not long after McNulty’s retirement announcement. Asked if that meant he isn’t running, the mayor responded: “I didn’t say that.” Stratton declined to rule out running or to get into any discussion of the matter on Wednesday, the day after his re-election as mayor. For the rest of the week, he, like Jennings, could not be reached for comment. Before the election, he said that would serve his four-year term if re-elected mayor. “I’ve made my commitment,” he told a reporter on Oct. 26. “I made that commitment at the League of Women Voters forum. My intention is to run and serve the term.” GILLIBRAND’S BATTLE It’s not just the McNulty seat that promises an interesting congressional race next year in the Capital Region. While most national and state legislators cruise to re-election every two years, in 2006, U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, was ousted by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand of Columbia County in the 20th Congressional District. Democrats did well nationally that year, and Gillibrand was an effective and well-funded candidate. But a personal and police scandal that broke in the last week of the campaign may have doomed Sweeney’s candidacy. Now, Gillibrand has the advantage of incumbency and has raised $2 million in campaign funds, according to Congressional Quarterly, with $1.6 million cash in hand. But her district, which includes most of Saratoga and part of Rensselaer counties, remains heavily Republican. The latest state Board of Elections figures show 193,328 registered Republicans there and only 115,563 Democrats. So far, four Republicans have said they are seeking the nomination to run against her. They are Alexander “Sandy” Treadwell, Michael Rocque, John Wallace and Richard Wager. FIGHT FOR DOMINANCE In McNulty’s 21st District, which includes all of Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery and Schoharie counties and parts of Fulton, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties, there are 171,073 registered Democrats and 120,522 Republicans. Those numbers explain why there are more potential Democratic candidates than Republicans, but that doesn’t mean the GOP is writing it off. Both James Tedisco of Schenectady and one of his predecessors as Assembly minority leader, John Faso, said Republicans have a shot. Faso, who lives in Kinderhook in Gillibrand’s district but said he is not running for Congress, speculated that Jennings might win a divisive Democratic primary, leaving him vulnerable in the general election. Tedisco, who lives in McNulty’s district, declined to rule out running for the seat himself. But he said it does not necessarily have to be a well-known Republican who wins it, noting that Gillibrand was unknown before she ran against Sweeney. In the 20th District, Tedisco said he is not yet prepared to endorse a candidate, but he said “I would lean toward Sandy Treadwell.” Treadwell was a close ally of former Gov. George Pataki, who appointed him secretary of state and state Republican chairman. ABORTION RIGHTS AN ISSUE McNulty was challenged by a more liberal Democrat in the 1996 primary but was never seriously threatened in the general election over his 20-year career in Congress. He was helped by having the Conservative Party line. State Conservative Chairman Michael Long said he believes McNulty got that line from local Conservatives because of his opposition to abortion rights. McNulty’s position on that issue contrasted with most New York Democratic politicians, who are pro-choice down the line, although some, like McEneny, oppose partial-birth abortion. Abortion may become an issue on the Republican side in Gillibrand’s district. Wallace’s Web site spells out his opposition to abortion. Rocque said “I’m pro-life” but gives more weight to other issues. Treadwell said he is pro-choice but opposes partial-birth abortion and Medicaid funding for abortion and supports parental notification laws. Wager could not be reached for comment. All of the Republican candidates are likely to seek the Conservative Party line, and Long said he has met with three of them. That line has in the past gone both to pro-life candidates and pro-choice ones who oppose what opponents call partial-birth abortion. Gillibrand is pro-choice, said Rachel McEneny, her spokeswoman. But on some other issues, she has not taken a liberal line. Gillibrand was one of the first Democrats to oppose Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to let illegal immigrants qualify for driver’s licenses, and spokeswoman McEneny said Gillibrand voted twice to continue funding the war in Iraq. Treadwell, however, claimed Gillibrand voted three times to withdraw from Iraq. McNulty, along with Sens. Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, voted to authorize the Iraq invasion. Since then, however, he has become a vocal critic of the war. CHOOSING POSITIONS Two prominent Democrats in McNulty’s district, Albany County Comptroller Mike Conners and Assemblyman Bob Reilly of Colonie, said they would not run for Congress. Heather Orth, spokeswoman for Albany County District Attorney David Soares, said: “The DA loves his job and has a lot more work to do in Albany County.” McNulty himself declined to say who he wants to succeed him. The congressman said he expects to enthusiastically support the Democratic candidate and expects that candidate to win. Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, whose Senate district is divided between Gillibrand’s and McNulty’s congressional districts, said the senator had no comment on next year’s races. “It’s too early,” Reif said. U.S. Rep. John McHugh, a 59-year-old Jefferson County Republican, represents the 23rd District, which includes part of Fulton County. He is planning to run for re-election next year, a spokesman said. McHugh’s district has 172,888 enrolled Republicans and 116,262 Democrats. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton, left, a Democrat, is greeted by Assembly Minority Leader James N. Tedisco, a Republican, prior to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s 2007 State of the State address in January. Both are seen as possible contenders for Rep. Michael McNulty’s seat in Congress. BRUCE SQUIERS/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand greets visitors to her new congressional office in downtown Saratoga Springs in April. So far, four Republicans have said they are seeking the nomination to run against her in 2008. ANA N. ZANGRONIZ/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, left, offers well wishes to Rep. Mike McNulty following a news conference in October in which McNulty announced his intention to retire from Congress. Jennings has been mentioned as a possible successor to McNulty
Help wanted: Lifetime gig in Washington Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com.
No, no, no. I’m not going to throw my hat in the ring to succeed Mike McNulty in Congress. Maybe if he had given us some foreshadowing of his decision to retire at the tender age of 60 — or 61, which he’ll be when his term ends — but he took me and everyone else entirely by surprise by announcing his retirement so early. We all figured he would have to be carried out of Washington, as his predecessor, Sam Stratton, was very nearly carried out. Politicians can talk all they want about public service, but let’s face it, these are great jobs, these congressional seats and state Legislature seats, and when you get one you don’t give it up unless you have to. For a congressman to call it a career after a mere 20 years, when he is still able to tend to his basic bodily needs, is a rare event, and now there’s going to be a scramble, that’s for sure. Technically, the chairmen of the Democratic committees in the seven counties that make up McNulty’s congressional district could come together and endorse a candidate who would be the sole, unity candidate, but no one I have talked to expects that to happen. For one thing, Democrats in Albany County outnumber Democrats in the other six counties combined, so with a weighted voting system they could simply pick the candidate on their own. And for another thing, there are too many ambitious politicians in Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton, Schoharie counties, not to mention in Albany county itself, for there ever to be agreement. So the matter will be settled by a primary, you can bet on that. First out of the gate — my prediction — will be state Sen. Neil Breslin from Albany County, who confirmed for me what was reported by www.albanyweblog. com, that he will make a formal announcement in two or three weeks and that he is “very much interested” in the job, which is as close as anyone can get in advance of a formal announcement to saying, yes, I’m running. After that it’s a guessing game. Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, also of Albany County, said, “It’s something I continue to mull over … there’s no immediate pressing need to make a decision this week,” which I personally take to mean the odds are not great that he’ll go for it, besides which he is not unhappy being the No. 2 man in the Assembly, as majority leader. Mayor Brian Stratton of Schenectady did not return my telephone call seeking comment but told reporters earlier that he intends to serve out his term as mayor. Still, as the son of the man who represented this area in Congress for 30 years before McNulty took over, he cannot be indifferent to the opening — might even consider that he has a certain claim on the job. My first, cynical thought when McNulty made his announcement was that he was doing it one week before this year’s Election Day in order to block Stratton from immediately declaring his own candidacy for the job, since Stratton was running for re-election as mayor and could hardly announce that he wanted some other office just before presenting himself to the voters. There must have been collusion among Albany Democrats to keep the Schenectady fellow at bay, I figured. But no, McNulty assured me, that was the farthest thing from his mind, and it’s obvious by now there was no arrangement with the Albany crowd, since there is no agreed-upon successor. McNulty told me he announced a year in advance to give his staff members plenty of time to fi nd new jobs, and doing it a week before this Election Day was just happenstance. We take for granted the Democratic candidate will ultimately win the congressional seat simply because Democrats outnumber Republicans 171,000 to 120,000 in the 21st District, but let’s not count out Jim Tedisco, the Republican assemblyman from Schenectady who has made a name for himself battling Gov. Spitzer on drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants, among other surefire issues. “I really haven’t had a chance to sit down and think it over,” he told me, implausibly. He did note the 50,000-voter discrepancy between Democrats and Republicans in the district but also offered that Rudy Giuliani, if he happens to be the Republican presidential candidate, “could bring out a tremendous base,” and also that the issue of drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants, out of which he has already gotten a lot of mileage, “could resonate for seven months,” making him a viable contender. So I have to believe he’s thinking about it even as he says he has not had time to do so. (How much time does it take to think, Hey, I could be congressman!) Apparently Sue Savage, Democratic chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature is also thinking about it, though I would have to handicap her as an extreme longshot. But whoever jumps in or doesn’t jump in, let us always keep in mind, ladies and gentlemen, that a seat in Congress is basically a job opportunity. That it comes along only once in a generation is what give it its special excitement, for those in the game. Imagine aspiring to a job that opens up only once in 20 or 30 years and that many others also aspire to. That’s the kind of nailbiting pressure our politicians live with. Meanwhile, a salute to Mike Mc-Nulty, who was always an honest man to deal with, in a profession that too often rewards dishonesty.
I say Breslin or Jennings are the top candidates. They have a much higher profile and much more politically motivated with a huge track record. As far as Stratton and Savage, they are just the little fish in the big political bowl. Both of them clearly have no ability to govern the people. They are just the usual small town dems who try to build an empire with the taxpayers dollar which will only be for their own political gain and power.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Stratton looks to follow dad to Congress Carl Strock
You can set aside any uncertainty you might have about whether Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton is interested in running for the congressional seat soon to be vacated by Mike McNulty. He had an appointment on Friday to meet in Washington with Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island, the man in charge of candidate recruitment for the Congressional Democratic Committee, which would have made him the fi rst potential candidate to have such a meeting, or interview. It was just by chance that congressional activity was cancelled for the day so that Rep. Israel returned to Long Island and had to cancel the meeting, Israel himself told me. “He called and requested the meeting,” Israel told me by phone late Friday afternoon from his Long Island office, referring to Mayor Stratton. “We’re going to reschedule it.” I don’t know if Stratton actually went to Washington. He wasn’t in his City Hall office on Friday, but his secretary was protective enough not to say where he was. It doesn’t really matter, at least not to the rest of us. Stratton, despite dodgy remarks about serving out his four-year term, to which he was just elected and which doesn’t actually start until Jan. 1, is pretty clearly looking to go to Congress in the footsteps of his father, Sam Stratton, who represented the Albany-Schenectady area there for 30 years. Israel said his office has gotten calls from “a couple of other candidates,” but he wasn’t sure who they were, since the calls were handled by his staff. He said he visited the Capital Region last week just to “get the lay of the land” but did not meet with any potential candidates. The Congressional Democratic Committee will provide technical assistance to anyone who wants to run, he said, but will not take sides in a primary. “The decision is made locally,” he said. Though other names have been mentioned, the only other obvious candidate for the Democratic line at this point is state Sen. Neil Breslin of Albany County, who told me he plans to announce in a couple of weeks. The seven-county 21st Congressional District is heavily Democratic, so whoever wins a Democratic primary next September would be the presumptive favorite in the November general election.
As for Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton being dodgy about whether he would like to run for the congressional seat about to be vacated by Mike McNulty, that’s in the past — now that I revealed he went to Washington a week ago to interview for the job. When I saw him a few days ago he was brightly forthcoming on the subject, assuring me that, yes, he is “extremely interested” in the congressional race. And though he missed his scheduled interview with Rep. Steve Cohen of Long Island, who is in charge of recruiting a Democratic candidate to succeed McNulty, he did meet in Washington with two other key members of New York’s delegation, Jerry Nadler and Joseph Crowley, to discuss the same subject, not to mention with the Capital Region’s representative, Kirsten Gillibrand. He also confirmed that the previous week he had had an interview with a staff person from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the “D triple-C” to insiders — to discuss his possible candidacy. He said one of his concerns is that the choice of a candidate not simply be made by Albany Democrats, who outnumber the Democrats in the other six counties of the district combined, though he noted that “Albany is not the unified committee that it used to be under Dan O’Connell.” He acknowledged that it was awkward for him that McNulty announced his pending retirement just a week before Election Day this year, when he, Stratton, was asking the voters for another term as mayor. He could hardly come right out and say he would prefer a different job. But anyway, he’s saying it now. To repeat for the record, Brian Stratton’s father, Sam Stratton, served in Congress for 30 years after one term as mayor of Schenectady, so there would be some historical symmetry in Brian Stratton moving on to Washington. The chance comes but once in a generation, as he is well aware. For him, at age 50, this is probably his only shot. WORD WATCH One hackneyed expression that irks me is, “You can’t compare apples and oranges,” greatly favored by public officials, who use it to declaim against any comparison they regard as unjust. Of course you CAN compare apples and oranges. You can say they’re both fruits, they’re both round and so forth, but they have certain differences, which is exactly what we mean by making a comparison. But anyway, as an example of that misbegotten expression spinning out of control, we have an FBI executive grousing about somebody else’s use of FBI crime statistics to compare the relative danger of various cities and saying, as quoted by The Associated Press, “You’re not comparing apples and oranges; you’re comparing watermelons and grapes,” apparently with the novel idea that it would be OK to compare apples and oranges but not OK to compare more disparate fruits. I say let’s go back and start over again. Then we have the story in the Times Union about escalating threats from Schenectady City Hall to negligent landlords: “Each mailing’s wordings will be more urgent than the next,” the story said, which you might have to think about a minute. Isn’t there something backwards there? We also have a printed ad for high-priced bathroom supplies, featuring a “pedestal lavatory made of virtuous China,” which sounds inviting. And finally we have the online headline, “Man Dead After Hunting Accident Goes Awry,” though I won’t tell you which local television station put it up since they’re our “newsgathering partner,” and I don’t want to embarrass them.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Capital News 9 said tonight that Jim Tdisco has decided NOT to run for this seat. He will be retaining his seat as the Assembly Minority Leader. Couldn't find the story on their site as of this time.
Good for Tedisco! He appears to be a good watch dog right where he is!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Who will fill Rep. McNulty's seat? 11/28/2007 By: Steve Ference
ALBANY, N.Y. -- "I've had a good working relationship with Congressman McNulty," said Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton.
State Senator Neil Breslin said, "[McNulty] gave his heart and soul for 20 years representing this Congressional District, and they're very tough shoes to fill."
Nice words - that also mean potential candidates are working behind the scenes to fill those shoes after McNulty announced he will finish his current term and not run for re-election.
"I've got a great interest in the 21st Congressional District which was a large part of my father's Congressional District when he served for 30 years in Congress," said Stratton.
He isn't announcing anything official yet but says his leadership in Schenectady would work in Washington too.
It's been a few weeks since Congressman Mike McNulty announced he won't seek re-election, and we may now have a better idea of who on the Democratic side is interested in running for his seat. Our Steve Ference reports.
"Of the candidates who have been mentioned, I believe I'm the only one that has had hands-on administrative experience running a city, administering a $70 million budget, turning a city around from near financial ruin to a surplus situation," said Stratton.
Breslin said, "When you're faced with important issues of ending a bad war, of national health care, improving our education system - these are important issues I've thought about most of my adult life."
He says he's ready to tackle the big issues too, but these two likely aren't the only ones interested in running.
"Originally there were 12 or 14 names mentioned. Now we're only hearing two or three mentioned regularly," said political analyst, Helen Desfosses.
She says others - like Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings - shouldn't be counted out yet either.
"There are some people out there making plans we haven't heard or thought about yet," she said.
While time is ticking, the experts say don't expect to hear any official announcements from the candidates until the New Year. That's because they still have to get their support in line, as well as figure out their financial situations.
"It's estimated it could cost between one and two million to run this race," Desfosses said.
Breslin said that doesn't necessarily count him out.
"I ran countywide in Albany, and that represents 55 percent of the district, so I've run in the majority of the district six times and done quite well," he said.
Stratton said it may not count him out either.
He said, "I think I would be the strongest candidate in the general election, perhaps in the primary too."
Bottom line - let the pre-campaign campaigning begin.
Well, now w know which way Capital News 9 is slanting. Not even a mention that there IS a POSSIBILITY of a Republican running for the race, except for the fact that it's going to be expensive to win.
Race is on for juicy political plum Savage, Stratton among hopefuls to succeed McNulty BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
When U.S. Rep. Michael R. McNulty in October said he would retire from Congress in 2009 after 20 years, the surprise announcement triggered a stampede of Democrats seeking to succeed him. At least a dozen, including Susan Savage, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature, and Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton, have said they are interested in or thinking about a run for the 21st Congressional District, according to various political observers. McNulty On the Republican side, the party’s one bright hope, state Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, announced last week he would not seek the seat. It is too early to determine who will run in the September 2008 primary, political observers said. Candidates do not have to file nominating petitions until next July, but most likely serious candidates will announce by the end of December or early January, said Charlie Diamond, McNulty’s longtime aide. Diamond, by the way, is not a candidate for the offi ce. “They have to start raising money right away,” Diamond said. “Anyone can run; it’s democracy in action. Getting the message out is where the expense is.” A primary is likely to cost between $250,000 and $1 million, with additional costs expected for the general election, observers said. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already informed potential candidates in the 21st District that it will not support anyone financially in the primary, James said. Its representatives briefed them during a visit to the district the week of Nov. 19, she said. Helen Desfosses, associate professor of public affairs and policy with the Rockefeller College of the University at Albany, said the cost is “the big sobering factor. That means the person has to be a proven fundraiser with an active donor list and has to have great organizational skills or else hire someone with those skills.” Candidates would have to raise money through grass-roots efforts, as federal campaign laws place severe restrictions on campaign contributions and the use of money from a campaign committee already established for a different office, Diamond said. “Candidates cannot accept checks from banks, corporations and unions,” he said. Also, individuals can only contribute a maximum of $2,300. NAME RECOGNITION James said she does not believe all the potential candidates will “be able to come up with $1 million. You need to raise money to get your message out, you need to get local support from local community leaders, you need to be outgoing in meeting people in different parts of the district.” Diamond said some Democrats will start the race with an advantage: People already recognize their names. He cited Stratton and state Sen. Neil Breslin. Breslin, D-Delmar, said he is interested in McNulty’s seat, but he faces a difficult decision. Should he run for Congress, he would have to forgo seeking re-election to the state Senate; the law prohibits him from running for both seats. The congressional seat’s lure is simple, said Desfosses. “There hasn’t been an open seat in the 21st in a couple of decades. There are a lot of people piling up experience who have had no higher offi ce to run for.” The seat’s availability “comes along once in a generation. It is certainly something I want to seriously explore,” Savage said. Democrats also see the seat as safe, almost a guaranteed ticket to re-election. The reason: Democrats outnumber Republicans by 50,000 in the 21st District. Consider the case of McNulty, D-Green Island. McNulty won the seat in 1988 and never looked back. “He was very popular,” Desfosses said. He succeeded Sam Stratton, Brian’s father, who himself served in Congress for 30 years. That makes two openings in 50 years. ‘NO HEIR APPARENT’ “It is a strong Democratic district, and if a Democrat gets in and is really strong on constituent services and is right on the issues with the people, the person has a good chance of remaining,” said Carrie James, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The DCCC supports Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives. Another factor making McNulty’s seat highly attractive: There is “no heir apparent” for it, Desfosses said. “That is the other surprise. There was no one singled out and put forward by Mr. McNulty. It is literally an open seat.” The wide-open nature of the race almost guarantees a Democratic primary in September, James said. “A primary is not a bad thing at all. This is a strong Democratic district, and the fact there are a lot of people who want to talk about different ideas and a lot of people who want to fi ll Congressman McNulty’s seat is a good thing,” she said. In 1998, the political scenario was much different; when Stratton announced he would retire, there was no divisive Democratic primary, said Brian Quail, Schenectady County Democratic Committee chairman. At the time, Stratton had already filed the necessary paperwork to run for re-election but then dropped out at the last minute. This allowed his Committee on Vacancies, basically Democratic leaders, to select McNulty as Stratton’s replacement, thereby avoiding a primary, Quail said. Quail said none of the potential Democratic candidates, however, have name recognition that resonates across the entire 21st District. “No one has an attachment to the entire district,” he said. “I think anyone who thinks they have a lock on it are fooling themselves.” ALBANY COUNTY EDGE Desfosses agreed: “There are a lot of counties west of Albany that haven’t heard of Breslin or Stratton.” The 21st District consists of parts of Fulton, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties and all of Albany, Montgomery, Schenectady and Schoharie counties. Nevertheless, Albany County has a numerical advantage in a primary, Diamond said. It accounts for 60 percent of the vote, while Schenectady has 17 percent, Rensselaer 12 percent and the rest is distributed elsewhere. Stratton, who advocates a “fair, open and competitive race,” said he does not believe the argument Albany County will determine the candidate for the 21st District on its own. “There are people disenchanted with the one-party rule and there are people willing to look beyond the borders of Albany County for someone to represent the district as a whole,” he said. “It shouldn’t be something that is naturally assumed.” Savage said she thinks Albany Democrats are so fragmented that they would split the vote enough and give a chance to someone from outside their county. Said Stratton: “Anything could happen.”
Steck to make bid for Congress Race to succeed McNulty heating up BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Bob Conner at 462-2499 or bconner@dailygazette.net.
Phil Steck, an Albany County legislator and Colonie Democratic chairman, announced Wednesday that he is running for Congress. Steck is hoping to succeed U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, who is not running for reelection next year. Steck, an attorney, was endorsed at a news conference by several elected officials, including Assemblyman Bob Reilly, D-Colonie. Other Democrats backing Steck included Paula Mahan, who was elected Colonie supervisor last month, Bethlehem Supervisor Jack Cunningham, Watervliet Mayorelect Mike Manning and Rensselaer County District Attorney-elect Rich McNally. There are over 50,000 more enrolled Democrats than Republicans in the 21st Congressional District, which has led many Democrats to consider the race. They include two from Schenectady County: Brian Stratton, the mayor of Schenectady, and Susan Savage of Niskayuna, chairwoman of the county Legislature. Albany, however, is the largest county in the district and has by far the most Democrats, which may give a candidate from there an advantage. Sen. Neil Breslin, DDelmar, at first said he was inclined to run but then changed his mind and dropped out of the race. It is unclear whom he and his brother, County Executive Mike Breslin, will now support. Neither Breslin could be reached for comment Wednesday. On the Republican side, J. Christopher Callaghan, who ran for state comptroller last year, is a potential candidate. Callaghan, the former Saratoga County treasurer, said Wednesday he is thinking about running — and whether he can raise enough money. Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, a political rival of the Breslins, is another potential Democratic candidate. So is another powerful Albany County politician, Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes. Canestrari said Wednesday he is undecided about whether to run. He also said he expects other candidates to emerge. In a speech at the announcement, Steck listed priorities, beginning: “First, we need to end this war in Iraq immediately. But it is not enough just to end this ill-conceived war. We need to end the same old, same old approach to foreign policy that led us to disaster in Vietnam and again in Iraq.”
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