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SCHENECTADY
GOP sees promise in city Alliance Party startup
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    The Republicans are signaling that they may join forces with Schenectady’s new opposition party in an effort to bring down the Democratic machine.
    They may cross-endorse some of the Alliance Party’s candidates rather than running a full slate of Republicans, GOP county committee Chairman Thomas Buchanan said.
    He’s even willing to endorse Roger Hull, the Alliance Party’s mayoral candidate.
    All this comes as the Democrats have yet to announce a single candidate. Even Mayor Brian U. Stratton has thus far declined to say whether he will run for a third term. But the Alliance and Republican members say they have to start early to beat the Democrats, who have for years swept every elected seat in the city.
    So the opposition is considering cooperation.
    “We’ve been in communication with the Alliance Party,” Buchanan said, adding that he thinks the Republicans and the Alliance can develop “a level of cooperation.”
    “There’s probably some common goals that we have. The Republican Party is not opposed to the Alliance Party’s goals,” he said.
    He wants to head off the possibility that a three-party race could hand the Democrats an easy victory.
    “It has the danger to become an issue that we’ll split the opposition vote,” Buchanan said.
    But, he added, “cooperation” through cross-endorsements could avoid that. He speculated that the Alliance could endorse some GOP candidates, while the Republicans could endorse some Alliance candidates, allowing them all to run together. “It’s certainly something that’s worth talking about,” Buchanan said.
    Hull offered a less than enthusiastic response.
    “Would we be willing to take endorsements? Of course. We’ll take any endorsement,” he said. “We’re not going to be giving endorsements. We are going to run a full slate.”
    He offered one solution to Buchanan’s worry about splitting the opposition vote. “The easiest way I can think of is if they go with our slate,” Hull said.
    No way, said city Republican committee Chairwoman Darlene Lee. “My strategy is to look for candidates.”
    Lee sent out a press release Wednesday asking for resumes from residents who want to run for mayor or one of the four council seats up for election this year.
    “The Republican Party is responding to the people who live in Schenectady who said, during the last election, ‘Where are the Republicans?’” Lee said. “So here we are. This is their chance to get involved.”
    She’s looking for three traits in particular.
    “We need people who are familiar with our public safety issues,” she said. “And with our insurmountable, almost, fi nancial situation, we clearly need someone who understands finances. And jobs, we need someone from the business sector. We need to get people back to work.”
    She’s not worried about fi nding fi ve candidates.
    “I think we have a lot of talented people in the city,” she said. “I think we have a large pool to draw on.”
    She wants resumes by Feb. 20, sent to CityofSchenectadyGOP@ gmail.com or to her address, 706 Stanley St. Supporters can also follow the committee on Facebook, where it has a page called City of Schenectady GOP.
    Lee said it may take her committee months to put together a slate of candidates — which will put them far behind.
    Hull said the Alliance Party has already started holding interviews. It will announce candidates by the end of the month.
    Hull announced his candidacy before Christmas, saying that he had to start early to beat the Democratic machine.
    But Lee said she will take all the time she needs.
    “We’ll take however long it takes to get the right people. This is very important,” she said. “If it takes us until May first, that’s what we’re going to do.”
    The big question mark in the race is whether Republican Peter Guidarelli will run for mayor again. He lost to Mayor Brian U. Stratton by 312 votes in 2003.
    Guidarelli has said he may run this year — but on Wednesday he said he won’t make a decision for at least another 10 days, when he learns whether a new business deal will come together this year. That project would take up all of his time, he said.
    Guidarelli said he’s not worried that a three-man race would spoil his chances of beating Stratton. ............................>>>>.....................>>>>....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01200&AppName=1

Soooooooooooooooooo.....Buchannan supports  Hull...........but the city GOP supports Guidarelli?
So the point of this article is what????

This "news" makes no sense. The City GOP couldn't find one candidate last year. Now they will come up with a full slate? Rumors are that the Alliance Party is also having trouble. The only solution is a Unity slate-everyone against the DEM machine. Same in Rotterdam and Nisky. Also no mention that Joe Allen is retiring and leaving the State?

Quoted from benny salami

This "news" makes no sense.

It's the Gazette, are we really surprised?

Can anyone explain to me why Peter Guidarelli is still relevant?

Oh yeah...because Tommasone, Parisi & company keep digging up dirt from the past RE: Amedore and giving Peter a chance to be relevant.  Let well enough alone and let him fade away already!

I heard a bunch of people question him too. He hasn't run in years and he needs to run again for something if people are to recall him.