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44TH SENATE DISTRICT
Savage will challenge for Conservative line
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter

    Democrat Susan Savage will attempt to knock Republican incumbent state Sen. Hugh Farley off the Conservative Party ballot line in the Sept. 14 primary with a write-in campaign.
    Savage, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature, is hoping to capitalize on her strong connections with the Schenectady County Conservative Party to capture the key third-party line, local offi cials said.
    Savage filed petitions with 408 signatures — nearly twice the number needed — with the state Board of Elections to wage an opportunity to ballot in the primary. Farley, who is seeking his 18th two-year term, is the endorsed candidate of the state Conservative Party in the 44th Senate District race. The county Conservative Party cannot endorse state candidates. The general election is Nov. 2.
    Savage’s campaign director, Doug Forand, said Savage has supporters in the Conservative Party “who wanted to do this.”
    David Pietrusza, Farley’s campaign manager, sees the effort as more of a payback by county Conservatives to county Democrats. “For people who have aligned themselves with the D e m o c r a t i c Party in the county, they will be under pressure to deliver those votes. It is a manifestation of that alliance. It will be interesting to see how it will shake out,” he said.
    There are approximately 4,399 Conservatives in the 44th Senate District. About 3,000 of them live in Schenectady County, making the local Conservative Party a significant player in political races, including the state Senate race.
    Over the years, the county Democratic Party, which controls city and county governments and the patronage that goes with them, has cultivated the local Conservative Party. Democrats cross-endorsed Conservative Dominic Dagostino in his successful run for Schenectady County sheriff, and the party has awarded county jobs to members of the local Conservative Party. Dagostino carried petitions for Savage for the opportunity to ballot. ................>>>>.................>>>>..............................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00904&AppName=1