Dede Disses Her Party; Drops Out, Endorses Democrat

In my absence, a lot has happened in the race to replace Congressman John McHugh. Conflicting polls, shifting support, big name endorsements, independent expenditures, attack ads out the wazoo. The list goes on and on. The biggest news in this race so far took place over the weekend. Dede Scozzafava, the Republican candidate in the race, dropped out on Saturday, three days before the election. If that news wasn’t big enough, she followed it up on Sunday with an endorsement of Bill Owens, the Democrat in the race. Keep in mind: this was after the Republican Party dumped nearly $1 million dollars into supporting her campaign.

Because this all happened over the weekend, the final polls in the race (which were taken over the weekend) don’t give us too much information, though it appears that Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman is the biggest winner after Scozzafava’s decision to exit the race. Scozzafava remains on the ballot on both the Republican and Independence lines. Most Republicans that supported Dede switched their allegiance to Hoffman, but the Independence Party chairman endorsed Bill Owens. It has been a crazy few days, but it is all over (hopefully) tomorrow night.

I've added a video below as an example of how ridiculous Dede Scozzafava's campaign was. She held a press conference outside of one of Doug Hoffman's campaign offices, apparently forgetting that campaign offices are usually full of volunteers and campaign signs.

David Gay is Back

David Gay, local Republican rabble-rouser, is up to his old tricks. After causing a brief headache for party-designated congressional candidate Dale Sweetland last year, Mr. Gay has a new quest in this year’s election. David Gay threw his hat in the ring as a last-minute write-in challenger to Van Robinson, a Democrat, and the unopposed candidate for Common Council President. Though he surely knows he cannot win, the last-minute write-in campaign is certainly a good way to keep his name in the news as he contemplates another run for Congress as a Republican in 2010 (the only Republican to announce so far being Paul Bertan of Camillus).

Speaking of running for Congress, I have heard quite a few names of potential Republican challengers to Democrat Congressman Maffei being thrown around, not one of which have impressed me. Until now. Within the last week, a credible source inside local Republican politics sent me an email and dropped the name of a potential candidate to challenge Maffei. I will not name names until it can be independently confirmed, but if this potential challenger decides to jump in, he/she will instantly be considered a top-tier candidate, if not the Republican frontrunner.

It seems I have hijacked my own post. I didn’t mean to go off track. Back to David Gay: if Mr. Gay can draw enough write-in votes for Common Council President to gain some media coverage, he will be given more credibility to build his case for his potential future run for office as a Libertarian/Republican. Rest assured, this blog will be following him closely.

Stay Tuned

Unfortunately for myself and for my readers, my personal and private life demanded much attention from me in the last few weeks and I have been unable to keep this website properly updated. For this I apologize. The timing couldn’t be any worse as these last few weeks have been leading up to an important election with many interesting races on the ballot, specifically the Syracuse mayoral race and the special congressional election n New York’s 23rd congressional district. I have been unable to post recently about the news affecting these particular races, along with other races and candidates on the ballot, but two interesting stories from the last few days are drawing me back momentarily to take the time and update this blog. These updates will follow this post later today.

A Challenger for Valesky?

A challenger for State Senator Dave Valesky may have surfaced. Andrew Russo, a concert pianist from Fayetteville, is considering challenging Sen. Valesky in next year’s election. Russo, a Republican, has already begun raising money while exploring a potential challenge. If Russo makes his campaign official, he would become Sen. Valesky’s first announced challenger for the 2010 State Senate race. There are no announced challengers as of yet for Republican John DeFrancisco, although County Legislator Tom Buckel is considering a run, apparently with a pre-emptive endorsement from the American Postal Workers Union AFL-CIO, Local 257.

Stephanie Miner Updates

In the last two weeks, Stephanie Miner’s campaign for mayor has been moving right along. Like Steve Kimatian, she received two big endorsements and was interviewed by the Post Standard’s Sean Kirst. Stephanie’s big endorsements came from the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors on October 13th and the Syracuse Labor Council on October 16th. Below is her most recent TV spot.



On a side note, this is this blog’s 100th post! It’s been a long time since that first post was made on January 13th, 2009. Here’s to 100 more.

Steve Kimatian Updates

Steve Kimatian was in the news a few times in the last few weeks. He received two big endorsements. The first one, from former Congressman Jim Walsh, came on September 5th. The next one, from County Executive Joanie Mahoney, came just the other day, October 15th. Mr. Kimatian also appeared in two articles, one written by City Eagle’s Walt Sheppard and another from the Post Standard’s Sean Kirst. Below is a TV spot that Kimatian is currently running on local stations.

I'm Back

Hello everyone. I was forced to take an unexpected two week vacation, but I am back now. Expect a recap of some of the events of the last two weeks later today or tomorrow.

Bea & Van Disagree on Miner

Outgoing Common Council President Bea Gonzalez and incoming Common Council President Van Robinson were both high-profile supporters of Democrat Joe Nicoletti’s ultimately unsuccessful bid for Syracuse Mayor. After Joe Nicoletti was defeated in the Democrat Party primary, he turned around and endorsed the winner, party designee Stephanie Miner. Van Robinson followed suit and endorsed Stephanie Miner on Monday of this week. Bea Gonzalez, however, refuses to fall in line behind her party’s nominee. I’d like to recommend Tuesday’s front-page Post-Standard article for an in-depth look at the story. Kudos to Meghan Rubado for her excellent work.

The Special Election in NY-23 is On!

John McHugh started his new job as Secretary of the Army last week. With the seat vacant, Governor Paterson announced that the special election to fill the seat will be held on November 3rd, alongside the regularly scheduled elections. The candidates vying to succeed McHugh in the U.S. House of Representatives are Republican/Independence Party candidate Dede Scozzafava, Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Doug Hoffman.

These last two weeks have been busy for all three candidates. House Minority Leader John Boehner suggested that Scozzafava would follow McHugh onto the House Armed Services Committee should she win the seat. State Senator Darrel Aubertine, who was an early favorite to run for and win this seat, endorsed fellow Democrat Bill Owens. Doug Hoffman called on Dede Scozzafava to disavow her relationship with the radical Working Families Party (which has yet to endorse a candidate in this race), and by extension, the corrupt ACORN community organization.

Meanwhile, all three candidates have been racking up endorsements. Scozzafava was endorsed by Oswego-area and North Country State Senators and Assemblymen and the Republican Main Street Partnership PAC, while Owens was endorsed by the SEIU. The big endorsement news comes from Doug Hoffman’s campaign. Hoffman was endorsed by former presidential candidate Senator Fred Thompson, the Club for Growth, the Susan B. Anthony List and the New York State Troopers’ Police Benevolent Association. I’ve included a sampling of the three candidates TV and web ads.

Maffei Tells Paterson Not to Run in 2010

After a poll showed that 62% of New Yorkers didn’t want President Obama to get involved in New York’s upcoming gubernatorial race by trying to muscle Governor David Paterson out of running for a full term, Congressman Dan Maffei decided that he also wanted to show Governor Paterson the door. Maffei, who continues to rake in campaign cash at breakneck speed, fears that Paterson’s presence on the ballot in 2010 may hurt his chances for re-election.

The Mayor Makes an Endorsement

The first major post-primary, not-Joe-Nicoletti, endorsement went to Stephanie Miner. The sitting mayor, Democrat Matt Driscoll, gave Stephanie his blessing in her quest to replace him at City Hall. Driscoll wisely stayed out of the primary and took the safe route by endorsing the winner after the fact. Stephanie faces Republican/Independence candidate Steve Kimatian and Conservative candidate Otis Jennings. The three mayoral candidates will be debating tonight for the first time.

The Rick Lazio Announcement Tour Comes to Syracuse

Gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio stopped in Syracuse on his announcement tour. This will be his first run for elected office since 2000, when he was a last minute replacement for Rudy Giuliani in New York’s U.S. Senate election. He isn’t making that mistake this time. Lazio is getting an early start in his run for governor and isn’t waiting around for Rudy Giuliani to make a decision. Lazio was a Long Island congressman in the 1990’s and he lost the 2000 U.S. Senate race to Hillary Clinton. Most recently, he was a managing director at JPMorgan Chase.

Otis Jennings is Still a Candidate for Mayor

Mayoral candidate Otis Jennings confirmed this morning that he will continue to actively campaign for the city’s top executive post. He lost last week’s Republican primary to political newcomer Steve Kimatian, but remains on the ballot on the Conservative line. This sets up a three-way race between Jennings (C), Kimatian (R, I) and Councilor-at-Large Stephanie Miner (D, WF).

The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd. If Otis wants to have any impact in the race, especially if he still thinks he can win, he needs to shake up his campaign staff and do a lot of heavy lifting over the next seven weeks.

Primary Day Odds & Ends

Though the focus was on the mayoral primaries on Tuesday night, there were a few other notable primaries in Onondaga County. The Clay-based 2nd Legislative District had a Republican primary with some similarities to the Republican mayoral primary, with one major difference. Clay Republicans selected John Dougherty (pictured at left) to represent them, but County Executive Joanie Mahoney backed a challenger. In the city, that challenger (to party designee Otis Jennings) was Steve Kimatian, who also has the Independence line, and in Clay, that challenger was David Stewart, who also has the Independence and Conservative lines. The major difference between the two races was that in the city, Joanie-backed Steve Kimatian won by a 12 point margin. In Clay, Joanie-backed David Stewart was massacred at the ballot box and lost by a whopping 73 point margin.

Another race for the County Legislature of some interest was the opportunity-to-ballot (OTB) race for the Conservative Party line in the 9th District, anchored by Eastwood and the Village of East Syracuse. The Conservative Party endorsed 28-year incumbent Democrat Floor Leader Mark Stanczyk (pictured at right), but Republican challenger Mike Sutton collected OTB petitions to force what is basically a write-in primary. Stanczyk’s name appeared on the ballot on Primary Day, but Sutton’s supporters had to write in his name in order to cast their vote for him. The outcome of the vote was a 10-10 tie. If there are any absentee ballots, they won’t be opened until at least next week. If the tie stands, Stanczyk gets to keep the line. A Sutton win would give him three lines (R, I, and C). Stanczyk will only be appearing on the Democrat line. He was endorsed by the Working Families Party, but because he can only have a maximum of three lines, he declined the Working Families line in order to maintain the Conservative line. (CORRECTION: I'd like to thank the anonymous commenter who corrected my misunderstanding of the number of lines a candidate can have: "A candidate can have as many party lines as there are parties with automatic ballot status. The only limitation for ballot lines is that if you have 2 lines you cannot create a 3rd through an independent nominating petition, that line must be merged with another. Unless of course it is a state legislative race, in which case you can have unlimited lines.") What makes this race more complicated is the fact that Mike Sutton was on the Jim Reith show on Wednesday alleging that some of his Conservative supporters may have been turned away at the polls. If Mr. Sutton can wrestle the Conservative line away from Stanczyk, it will be a MAJOR upset. This is a race to watch until the end.

In the Salina-based 4th Legislative District, incumbent Democrat Dave Stott and Republican challenger Judy Tassone (pictured at left) waged write-in campaigns for the Conservative line after neither candidate received the endorsement of the Conservative Party. Judy Tassone came out ahead, 18 votes to Stott’s 11. Any absentee ballots won’t be opened until at least next week, but they are not likely to alter the results from Primary Day.

There was a similar situation in Syracuse’s 3rd Common Council District. Incumbent Republican Ryan McMahon and Democrat Dorothy Matthews battled for the Conservative line with dueling write-in campaigns. After voting was over on Primary Day, Dorothy Matthews was ahead 2 votes to 1. Ryan McMahon already has three lines: Republican, Independence and Working Families; so if he wins he would likely turn down the Conservative line, leaving it blank, but denying it to his opponent. Again, if there are any absentee ballots for this race, they won’t be opened until at least next week.

Miner Wins Nicoletti's Endorsement

Quick post-primary update: Defeated mayoral candidate Joe Nicoletti endorsed his former opponent, Stephanie Miner, to be the City of Syracuse’s next mayor.

Miner and Kimatian Win Mayoral Primaries

The results are in. Party designee Stephanie Miner defeated Joe Nicoletti by a margin of 44.4 percent to 35.6 percent in the Democrats’ primary. Her overwhelming strength in the 17th Ward carried her to victory. Also-rans Alfonso Davis received 11.2 percent of the vote and Carmen Harlow received 8.7 percent of the vote. Steve Kimatian upset Republican Party designee Otis Jennings by a 56.4 percent to 43.5 percent margin. The two Republican candidates were basically tied throughout most of the city, but Mr. Kimatian was able to win the primary decisively by pulling out large margins in the Sedgwick and Strathmore neighborhoods. You can see ward-by-ward results here.

As we head into the general election, Stephanie Miner will be on the Democrat and Working Families lines on the ballot and Mr. Kimatian will be on the Republican and Independence lines. Though he lost the Republican primary, Otis Jennings will remain on the Conservative line and according to the Syracuse New Times, Otis says he will continue to actively campaign for the city’s top elected office.

Primary Candidate Analysis, Part 4

The fourth and final part of my primary candidate analysis focuses on the candidates’ communication abilities and knowledge of issues. Each candidate sat down with News 10 Now’s Bill Carey for roughly 15 minutes each and answered the same series of questions. I will be basing my ratings on these interviews.

Alfonso Davis

Watch the interview here.

Alfonso Davis seemed to struggle a little bit in the sit-down, one-on-one interview format. He was able to communicate some of his ideas, but probably not as clearly and fluently as he would have liked. He has definitely improved his performance over the course of the campaign, but it his communication abilities have yet to fully reach a professional level.

Rating: 3/5.

Carmen Harlow

Watch the interview here.

Carmen Harlow showed more self-confidence than Alfonso Davis, but Mr. Harlow tended to ramble quite a bit during the one-on-one interview with Bill Carey. He went off topic for several minutes while answering pretty much every question. I really didn’t get a good sense of Mr. Harlow’s vision or what sort of policy goals he would be seeking if elected.

Rating: 2/5.

Otis Jennings

Watch the interview here.

Otis did a great job of turning some of Bill Carey’s questions into opportunities to discuss some of his proposals and his vision for Syracuse. He communicated his positions effectively and came across as educated on the issues. Otis’ background as a motivational speaker certainly helped him get his major points across during this interview.

Rating: 4/5.

Steve Kimatian

Watch the interview here.

Speaking with notes handy, Mr. Kimatian communicated his ideas expertly. He spoke with confidence and got his points across very well. His background hosting a talk show (“Sundays with Steve”) gave his responses a more conversational tone, which certainly help his ability to discuss his proposals. Mr. Kimatian appeared well-informed and marketed himself well.

Rating: 4/5.

Stephanie Miner

Watch the interview here.

Stephanie Miner was calm, cool and collected in this interview. She was very comfortable speaking about a variety of city issues and was a very effective communicator. She seemed to go more in-depth than some of the other candidates, but like the rest of the field, she didn’t knock the interview out of the park. Overall, Stephanie did very well.

Rating: 4/5.

Joe Nicoletti

Watch the interview here.

Joe Nicoletti came across as educated on the issues and polished in his delivery. Again, Nicoletti held his own during the interview, but failed to outshine the other major candidates of both parties. He made a couple of verbal slip-ups (my favorite being “we will attack this community”), but they did not detract from his eloquent discussion of city issues.

Rating: 4/5.

Primary Candidate Analysis, Part 3

The third part of my primary candidate analysis focuses on the late-primary money situation. The ratings are based ONLY on the 11-Day Pre Primary Report filed by each candidate with the State Board of Elections. This filing covers the period from roughly Friday, August 14th until Friday, September 4th. The next filing is the 10-Day Post Primary Report due on September 25th.

Alfonso Davis

Alfonso Davis’ campaign account had $4,464.07 in it at the beginning of this period. After $1,150.00 in contributions and $2,290.58 in expenses, Alfonso had $3,323.49 left in the account at the end of this period.

View the Report Summary for Alfonso Davis here.

Alfonso Davis managed to raise and spend even less than Carmen Harlow. Not good.

Rating: 2/5.

Carmen Harlow

Carmen Harlow’s campaign account had $520.28 in it at the beginning of this period. After $3,450.00 in contributions and $3,662.30 in expenses, Harlow had $307.98 left in the account at the end of this period.

View the Report Summary for Carmen Harlow here.

Harlow’s financial situation is dire. No further explanation is needed

Rating: 1/5.

Otis Jennings

Otis Jennings’ campaign account had $125,084.60 in it at the beginning of this period. After $34,075.00 in contributions and $21,400.91 in expenses, Otis had $137,758.69 left in the account at the end of this period.

View the Report Summary for Otis Jennings here.

Otis is the clear fundraising leader on the Republican side and due to a low burn rate, is in the best financial shape of any candidate moving forward, though he has surely spent a big chunk of his cash since this filing.

Rating: 4/5.

Steve Kimatian

Steve Kimatian’s campaign account had $41,954.25 in it at the beginning of this period. After $0.00 in contributions and $0.00 in expenses, Kimatian had $41,954.25 left in the account at the end of this period.

View the Report Summary for Steve Kimatian here.

These numbers don’t pass the smell test. Kimatian didn’t raise or spend any money in a three week period leading into the final month of the primary season? What is he doing?

Rating: 1/5.

Stephanie Miner

Stephanie Miner’s campaign account had $246,909.66 in it at the beginning of this period. After $28,185.00 in contributions and $241,923.53 in expenses, Stephanie had $33,182.32 left in the account at the end of this period.

View the Report Summary for Stephanie Miner here.

Stephanie has clearly been saving her money for the primary. She also burned through almost all of it battling Joe Nicoletti. If Stephanie makes it through the primary, she will have to start fundraising from scratch for the general election.

Rating: 3/5.

Joe Nicoletti

Joe Nicoletti’s campaign account had $181,555.99 in it at the beginning of this period. After $47,925.00 in contributions and $174,376.03 in expenses, Nicoletti had $55,104.96 left in the account at the end of this period.

View the Report Summary for Joe Nicoletti here.

Joe is in the same boat as Stephanie. This primary has wiped out his campaign account, but he is in slightly better shape moving forward, though both Nicoletti and Stephanie may face a slight cash disadvantage initially if either one is to face Otis Jennings in the general election.

Rating: 3/5.

Primary Candidate Analysis, Part 2

The second part of my primary candidate analysis focuses on lawn signs. Lawn signs are the most visible displays of public support for a candidate. Lawn signs should grab the attention of voters but be simple enough to get a message across.

Alfonso Davis


Alfonso’s sign is the wordiest of all of the candidate’s signs. Driving by quickly, it is difficult to read everything on the sign, which decreases the impact the sign has. The American flag in the “D” of his name is distracting and makes the sign harder to read. Also, he is the only candidate that has the date of the primary on his sign. Does this mean he doesn’t expect to make it into the general election?

Rating: 2/5.

Carmen Harlow


If I remember correctly, I believe Carmen Harlow was the first candidate to distribute his lawn signs to supporters. It is nice and simple and to the point. There is a nice graphic and the “Harlow for Mayor” message is in a nice, big font. He also includes the URL to his horrible website on the sign. Overall, this is one of the best signs of the six.

Rating: 4/5.

Otis Jennings


Otis’ sign is clear and colorful. The big white “OTIS” text on a dark blue background is eye-catching and he directs voters to his website. The flag graphic in the corner is a nice touch. Graphics can be distracting on a lawn sign, but Otis, along with Carmen Harlow, make it work. I am giving this sign the top score because it is nice and colorful, with clear, readable text.

Rating: 5/5.

Steve Kimatian


Steve’s sign baffles me. It is the most boring of all six signs. Do plain text and plain colors reflect a plain candidate? Like Otis and Carmen Harlow, Kimatian’s lawn sign directs people to his website. Maybe visitors to his website will enjoy the splash of yellow that is lacking on his signs. Sorry, Steve, your sign just doesn’t cut it.

Rating: 1/5.

Stephanie Miner


I find Stephanie’s sign to be very interesting. The sign is a simple blue on white, the only sign that includes only one non-white color. Sign printers charge more for each additional color, so perhaps Stephanie was looking to save money. She has been one of the most prolific fundraisers in this race, so this theory goes out the window. Her Obama-like logo is so last year.

Rating: 3/5.

Joe Nicoletti


When I first saw Nicoletti’s sign in someone’s yard, I thought maybe my neighbor was getting their driveway paved or their house painted. This sign is very commercial looking for some reason, which does detract slightly from its appearance. Nicoletti slapped his slogan on his sign and made sure to let everyone know he is a Democrat.

Rating: 3/5.

Primary Candidate Analysis, Part 1

Tomorrow is Primary Day. Two Republicans and four Democrats will face off to earn the right to represent their respective parties in this November’s mayoral election. The Republican candidates are party designee Otis Jennings and challenger Steve Kimatian. The Democrats are party designee Stephanie Miner and challengers Joe Nicoletti, Alfonso Davis and Carmen Harlow. I will be making several posts to this blog today analyzing and rating some key aspects of each campaign. First up: candidate websites.

Alfonso Davis (http://www.alfonsodavisformayor.com)

Alfonso Davis’ website is well done. The front page consists of a note to city residents, a picture of Alfonso, a nice video, buttons to contribute/volunteer, and links to several pages with detailed information about his vision for Syracuse. Again, the website is well done, but just a notch below the professionalism of some of the other candidate websites.

Rating: 4/5.

Carmen Harlow (http://www.harlowformayor.com)

The first impression of Mr. Harlow’s website is that it was designed by a fifth grader. Unfortunately, it’s also the last impression. The entire website is crammed onto the front page. There do not appear to be any internal links. There are a few photos, several of which are grainy. This is not the website of a serious candidate.

Rating: 1/5.

Otis Jennings (http://www.otisjennings.com)

First of all, this website has a nice header: a great picture of Otis with his slogan and an outline of the city skyline in front of an American flag. Then you scroll down. I find the front page of Otis’ website to be a little too busy. Too many links (some of which are duplicated) on the front page and not enough graphics to break up the text. The quality and variety of content of the website are its saving grace.

Rating: 4/5.

Steve Kimatian (http://www.steveforsyracuse.com)

The front page of Mr. Kimatian’s website is similar to Alfonso Davis’ in that they are both pretty standard. Not much flair. At least Alfonso has a nice color scheme. Red, black and yellow, Mr. Kimatian? Really? Aside from that, the website has good content and a nice layout, but still comes up lacking that extra touch.

Rating: 3/5.

Stephanie Miner (http://www.stephanieminer.com)

Let me say right off the bat that this is the best of the six websites. It is the most professional looking and the layout and content match the quality of the appearance. The front page isn’t cluttered and the layout encourages the viewer to explore the website. Unfortunately for the other candidates, this website is the standard to which the others are compared.

Rating: 5/5.

Joe Nicoletti (http://www.joenicoletti.com)

The front page of this website is heavy on content, but the layout helps to organize and break it up. I still think it’s a little too busy. Overall, the website is of very good quality. Joe definitely gets points for quality of content and general professionalism, but in my opinion, his front page is just too cluttered to give him a perfect score.

Rating: 4/5.

Nicoletti Gets Another Endorsement

Syracuse City Auditor Phil LaTessa came out in support of Joe Nicoletti in the mayoral primary race. LaTessa considered running for mayor himself but never made the jump. Nicoletti also picked up the endorsement of several local unions to counter mayoral candidate (and party designee) Stephanie Miner’s advantage among labor unions. As the September 15th primary fast approaches, attention turns to current mayor Matt Driscoll. A last-minute endorsement from the mayor for either candidate could have a significant impact on undecided voters. At this point in the race, it seems Driscoll may be sitting on the sidelines through the primary in preparation to endorse whichever Democrat comes out alive after this Tuesday.

Joe Biden Stops By

Vice President Joe Biden was in town recently for an event at Syracuse University with Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Geithner, and the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. While he was here he attended two high-profile fundraisers for local Democrats. Biden stopped by the OnCenter to headline a fundraiser for Congressman Dan Maffei. The VP also met with donors at a private event at the offices of Bond, Schoeneck & King, a Syracuse law firm, to raise money for Bill Owens, the Democrat candidate in the upcoming special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district. Governor David Paterson will schedule a special election when the seat’s current occupant, Republican John McHugh, is confirmed as Secretary of the Army. Bill Owens also recently picked up the endorsement of New York’s senior U.S. Senator, Chuck Schumer.

McAuliffe Endorses (and Dumps Money on) Joe Nicoletti

The Democrats’ former National Chairman and Clinton confidante, Syracuse native Terry McAuliffe, made an endorsement in the Syracuse mayoral primary. McAuliffe endorsed Joe Nicoletti and backed up the endorsement with a $5,000 donation.

Onondaga County Endorsement Helps Put Ed Cox Over the Top

This fall, New York State’s Republican county chairs and county committee people will elect a new State Chairman. Current Chairman Joe Mondello, of Nassau County, will be vacating the state’s top party post. Richard Nixon son-in-law and John McCain New York State presidential campaign coordinator Ed Cox came out early to with an announcement that he would be running for State Chairman and racked up a lot of endorsements and pledges early. Niagara County Chairman Henry Wojtaszek waited until Mondello officially announced that he wouldn’t be running again before he started an official campaign for the post. Even though he had the backing of a motley crew of New York Republicans (including Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki, Joe Bruno and Joe Mondello), Wojtaszek began campaigning for the post too late to build any momentum. Cox had already convinced more than half of the county chairmen in the state to join his team. Onondaga County Republican Chairman John DeSpirito announced his support for Ed Cox and Wojtaszek withdrew from the race a week later. Ed Cox will cruise into the position as Republicans across the state are suffering. Republicans hold no statewide positions and lost control of the State Senate last year for the first time in decades. Republican representation in Congress has dropped to a measly three seats in New York’s 29-member delegation and the upcoming special election in the 23rd congressional district could give the Democrat’s another pickup. Ed Cox has a long, hard road ahead of him.

. . . And Stephanie Miner

Congressman Dan Maffei endorsed Stephanie Miner today at Nottingham High School as she seeks the nomination of her party to run for Mayor of Syracuse. The primary is less than two weeks away.

Maffei Lines Up Behind Gillibrand . . .

Congressman Dan Maffei finally endorsed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as she seeks a full term for U.S. Senate next year. He becomes Gillibrand’s 15th endorsement from the Democrats' 26-member congressional delegation. The endorsement announcement follows on the heels of an endorsement from fellow Upstate Congressman Eric Massa a few weeks ago. Also making news in this race is Republican Congressman Peter King, of Long Island, who announced that he will not be challenging Gillibrand in next year’s Senate race. There are also rumblings that former Governor Spitzer may try to make his political comeback by challenging Gillibrand for her Senate seat.

Van Robinson Makes His Choice

Councilor-At-Large Van Robinson, who is running unopposed for Common Council President, endorsed Joe Nicoletti in the Democrat primary race. With this endorsement, all nine Democrats on the Common Council have picked sides. Common Council President Bea Gonzalez, Councilor-At-Large Van Robinson and 1st District Councilor Mike Heagerty are supporting Joe Nicoletti. Councilors-At-Large Bill Ryan and Kathleen Joy and District Councilors Pat Hogan, Tom Seals and Lance Denno are supporting Councilor-At-Large Stephanie Miner. The lone Republican on the Common Council, Ryan McMahon, has not made an endorsement in the Republican primary between Otis Jennings and Steve Kimatian.

Walt Dixie Endorses Stephanie Miner

Walt Dixie, political activist and local representative of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, endorsed mayoral candidate Stephanie Miner today. Having the NAN helping her out (or at least the local NAN leadership) will help her get “boots on the ground” in the form of volunteers for her get-out-the-vote effort on Primary Day, which is only three weeks away. This is a handy endorsement for her to receive. It is not an endorsement free of controversy, however. The NAN is a mostly black organization and both parties have prominent black candidates in the running. Giving the endorsement to a non-black candidate is sure to raise some eyebrows. Ken Jackson, publisher of the Syracuse Constitution, took a swipe at Walt Dixie a few weeks ago for intentionally downplaying the viability of the black mayoral candidates in the mayoral race in an interview. This endorsement will certainly fuel further tension.

DeFran4Otis

State Senator John DeFrancisco endorsed Republican mayoral candidate Otis Jennings on the steps of City Hall yesterday. This is a big endorsement for Mr. Jennings, though it is unclear how the fiasco in the State Senate this summer has affected the Senator’s image among the Syracuse voters. Otis’ September 15th primary with challenger Steve Kimatian is fast approaching and this is the second time Otis made headlines this week. Kimatian has not had much of a presence in the news media lately. On a side note, does anyone else think it’s sort of creepy how DeFran and Otis are wearing matching suits and ties?

Massa Sparks Controversy

Representative Eric Massa, the Democrat elected to New York’s 29th congressional district last year, has apparently already forgotten what the title “Representative” means. Speaking at a convention in Pennsylvania for left-wing bloggers over the weekend, Rep. Massa declared that he “will vote adamantly against the interests of my district if I actually think what I’m doing is going to be helpful.”



His comment has created a firestorm of opposition in his district and has received national media attention. It will be interesting to see what sort of backlash his controversial remarks may generate and if it will affect his bid for re-election next year. Massa and his Republican opponent, Corning Mayor Tom Reed, have yet to make any statements regarding the controversy.

Democrats Duel on TV

Democrat mayoral candidates Stephanie Miner and Joe Nicoletti took their primary battle to the airwaves. Both campaigns released their first TV ads. In this clash of the titans, Nicoletti’s ad beats Stephanie’s hands down. Stephanie’s ad is run-of-the-mill and boring, while Joe’s ad shows some energy and pep. Boiled down, Joe’s ad is memorable and Stephanie’s is . . . forgettable. See the ads below.

Tom O'Hara Becomes a Footnote in Mayoral Race

Tom O’Hara, a candidate for Mayor of Syracuse, has dropped out of the race. He originally intended to run as a Democrat, but after he failed to collect enough signatures to gain access to the primary ballot (he needed 1,000), he decided to run as an independent. The deadline for filing the 1,500 signatures he would need to run as an independent is this Tuesday, August 18th, but O’Hara has announced that he is no longer a candidate. Mr. O’Hara, we barely knew thee.

Former Mayor Endorses Mayoral Hopeful

Mayoral candidate Stephanie Miner received the endorsement of former Syracuse Mayor Tom Young. Young, a Democrat, was mayor from 1985 to 1993. Miner is the designated Democrat in the race, but her primary opponent Joe Nicoletti has been rolling out major endorsements (mostly former State Assembly colleagues) with some regularity. This endorsement gets Stephanie back in the news as the primary election fast approaches. September 15th is just one month away. Keep an eye out for endorsements from former mayor Roy Bernardi and current mayor Matt Driscoll. I don't expect Bernardi to make an endorsement, but there's a good chance that Driscoll will endorse a candidate late in the game.

Democrats Pick Candidate in NY-23

North Country Democrats selected lawyer and Air Force veteran Bill Owens to run for John McHugh's soon-to-be-vacated congressional seat. He will be running against Republican Dede Scozzafava and Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman. The seat will not become vacant until McHugh is confirmed as Secretary of the Army by the Senate, which won't happen until the Senate reconvenes next month, so the special election will likely be held on Election Day this November.

Blue Collar Government Workers Pick Sides in Mayor's Race

The Local 400 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has endorsed Joe Nicoletti for Mayor of Syracuse. This is big news for Mr. Nicoletti. The designated Democrat in the race, Stephanie Miner, was a labor lawyer until she resigned to run for Mayor, and already has the endorsements of several local unions, most notably the Teamsters, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW 43), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1199).

Doug Hoffman Still Running in NY-23

Republican Doug Hoffman, of Lake Placid, was passed over by Republican Party leaders in New York’s 23rd Congressional District a few weeks ago when they selected Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava to be their nominee for the soon-to-be vacant seat currently held by Congressman John McHugh. Doug Hoffman, however, is still a candidate. After the Republicans selected the liberal Scozzafava, the New York State Conservative Party refused to allow her to run on their ballot line. Just last week, they announced that Doug Hoffman would be the Conservative Party’s pick for the seat. Hoffman is a businessman, community leader and is active in his local Republican Party organization. The Democrats have yet to name a candidate in the race, but their selection could come as early as today. Democrat Mike Oot, who ran against McHugh in 2008, has reportedly taken his name out of consideration.

Joanie Appoints Bernie's Successor

County Executive Joanie Mahoney announced her appointment of a new County Legislator on Wednesday morning. Mark Rupprecht, a former Clay town supervisor, will hold the 2nd District seat for the next five months. The Clay-based seat became vacant last week when longtime County Legislator Bernie Kraft passed away. The winner of November’s election will assume office in January. Rupprecht is not a candidate. Donna Marsh O’Connor is the Democrat and Working Families Party candidate. David Stewart is the Independence and Conservative Party candidate and is facing John Dougherty in a Republican primary.

Heagerty Knocked Off Ballot Line

Mike Heagerty, Syracuse’s 1st District Common Councilor, did not collect enough valid signatures to appear on the Democrat Party line in this fall’s election. The Board of Elections ruled that he was one signature short of the 335 signatures that he needed. Mr. Heagerty did not sign a petition for himself. Let this be a lesson: every signature counts, every vote counts. He will still be appearing on the ballot on the Working Families line and he has plans to create a minor party line as well. In order to obtain another line, he will need to collect even more signatures than he needed the first time, and he will need to do it in much less time. His opponent in the race is Matt Rayo, who is running on the Republican, Independence and Conservative Party lines. Heagerty’s flub gives Mr. Rayo a much better shot of winning this seat. Don’t write Heagerty off yet though, because it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.

Other candidates that have been knocked off major party lines this year include David Baines, who was challenging designated Democrat candidate Nader Maroun in a primary for the 5th District Common Council seat, and Kristen Zimmer-Meile, a Democrat running for a seat on the County Legislature against incumbent Republican Pat Kilmartin, of the 11th District.

Bernie Kraft, Rest In Peace

Long-serving County Legislator Bernie Kraft, of Clay, passed away this afternoon. He was 71 and had just recently announced his retirement. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends in this difficult time. The taxpayers of the county lost one of their best advocates today.

* Indy Party Overruled

A New York State Supreme Court Judge ruled for the Independence Party of New York State in their lawsuit with the local Independence Party of Onondaga County. This list of endorsements no longer applies. The state party has endorsed the candidates listed at the end of this post. Local Chairwoman Maleta Snell plans to appeal the ruling.

One of the biggest curveballs of the ruling is the fact that Republican mayoral candidate Steve Kimatian received the backing of the state party and will appear on the ballot on the Independence Party line (pending the result of the appeal). This means that Stephanie Miner will appear on the Working Families Party line, Otis Jennings will appear on the Conservative Party line, Steve Kimatian will appear on the Independence Party line and the two major party lines have yet to be decided. If Joe Nicoletti wins the Democrat Party primary, there will be four candidates for mayor on the ballot between the five recognized major and minor parties. This is going to get very interesting.

The endorsements coming down from the state party are listed below. (The Post-Standard article wasn’t very clear on the outcome of the endorsements on all of these races, so expect changes and corrections as I track down the correct information).

County Legislature:

1st District: Rich Lesniak, incumbent, (R).

2nd District: David Stewart, challenger (primary), (R).

3rd District: Bill Meyer, incumbent, (R).

4th District: Judy Tassone, challenger, (R).

5th District: Kathy Rapp, incumbent, (R).

6th District: Jim Rhinehart, incumbent, (R).

7th District: No endorsement.

8th District: Unclear.

9th District: Mike Sutton, challenger, (R).

10th District: Kevin Holmquist, incumbent, (R).

11th District: Pat Kilmartin, incumbent, (R).

12th District: Bob Demore, incumbent, (R).

13th District: Bob Warner, incumbent, (R).

14th District: Unclear.

15th District: Bill Kinne, incumbent, (D).

16th District: Kevin Kuehner, challenger, (R).

17th District: Marty Masterpole, incumbent, (D).

18th District: Monica Williams, incumbent, (D).

19th District: No endorsement.

City of Syracuse:

Mayor: Steve Kimatian, (R), open seat.

Common Council President: Van Robinson, (D), open seat.

Common Councilor At-Large: Fanny Villarreal, (R), open seat.

Common Council, 1st District: Matthew Rayo, challenger, (R).

Common Council, 2nd District: Patrick Hogan, incumbent, (D)

Common Council, 3rd District: Ryan McMahon, incumbent, (R).

Common Council, 4th District: Tom Seals, incumbent, (D).

Common Council, 5th District: Tristan Daedalus (R), open seat.

Another Assembly Endorsement for Mayor

No surprise here. Another former New York State Assembly colleague endorsed mayoral candidate Joe Nicoletti. Former Majority Leader Michael Bragman announced his support for Nicoletti, who is challenging Stephanie Miner, the Democrats’ official designee in the race for Mayor of Syracuse. With these staggered endorsements, Nicoletti has done a good job of keeping himself in the news. I can’t say the same for Ms. Miner. Will Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli be the next to make an endorsement? Time will tell.

A NY-23 Update

As both Democrats and Republicans prepare to endorse candidates to run for Congressman John McHugh’s soon-to-be-vacant seat, the National Republican Congressional Committee offers a pre-emptive strike against Darrel Aubertine, the Democrats’ strongest potential candidate.



The effort by the NRCC to attack Aubertine early serves two purposes. The first is to discourage him from running for the seat altogether. The second is, if he chooses to run, to begin defining him in a negative light and get an early start on the race. If Aubertine decides to run, he will immediately receive the blessing of the county party heads in charge of candidate selection.

Things are a little trickier on the Republican side. Liberal Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava appears to have the inside track for the endorsement, but conservative Republican activists are already trashing her as an unacceptable candidate. There is a so far unsubstantiated rumor that if Scozzafava is the nominee, the RNC will not support her financially (although the NRCC clearly already has money invested in the race). We should know the nominees of both parties shortly, so check back for more updates soon.

Bernie Kraft to Retire

Longtime Onondaga County Legislator Bernie Kraft will be retiring at the end of his current term. The Republican budget expert cited his deteriorating health as part of his decision not to seek re-election this fall. He has been hospitalized since early May with an infection in his leg. Republicans are expected to name John Dougherty as Kraft’s replacement on the ballot. Dougherty is a Clay businessman/engineer who also serves on the Town of Clay Planning Board. The Democrat/Working Families Party candidate in the 2nd Legislative District is Liverpool School Board member Donna Marsh O’Connor, a local crazy person who thinks that Vice President Dick Cheney planned the September 11th attacks. The Independence Party candidate is corporate lawyer David Stewart.

Howie Picks an Office (CORRECTED)

Perennial Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins has announced that he is running for Mayor of Syracuse the 4th District seat of the Syracuse Common Council. The incumbent is Democrat Tom Seals, who is running for re-election. Howie intends to raise issues that he believes are being ignored, although this time, he believes he has a chance to win. Howie has released a platform that includes his vision of Syracuse and some of his proposals. His campaigns for various offices have been effective in introducing new issues for debate, and, though he has never won, have given people more options in the ballot box and have strengthened our city. Best of luck, Mr. Hawkins.

Four More Dems Running

As the petitioning period draws to a close this week, the Onondaga County Democrats have announced candidates in four more County Legislature races. Teirra Howe, of Mattydale will challenge incumbent Kathy Rapp for the 5th District seat. Karen Hanford, of Marcellus, will run again for the 6th District seat, held by Jim Rhinehart. Jim Scaramuzzino, of Van Buren, will run for the 13th District seat against Bob Warner. Kristen Zimmer-Meile, of the Town of Onondaga, has filed to run against Pat Kilmartin in the 11th District, but will step aside if another candidate emerges. Diane Dwire, the Party Chairwoman, says they are negotiating with another potential candidate for the 11th District seat.

Valesky Gets Screwed

In this blog’s inaugural post, State Senator Dave Valesky was praised for his elevation to the position of Vice President Pro-Tem in the Senate leadership. It was a signal from then-Majority Leader Malcolm Smith that he wanted a greater focus on Upstate issues. No more. With the Senate stalemate over and the leadership reorganization in place, it appears that Valesky’s leadership position was just for show and that Malcolm Smith’s so-called outreach to Upstate New York was a sham. The Majority Leader in the State Senate traditionally served also as President Pro-Tem of the Senate and Conference Chair for the leader’s respective party conference. In the reorganized Senate structure, those three titles were divided. Malcolm Smith is now the Senate President Pro-Tem, renegade senator Pedro Espada is the new Majority Leader and Senator John Sampson is the Conference Chair, a position he attained a few days after the original “coup” vote. These three men represent the geographically diverse New York State locales of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. In other words, the New York City State Senate is back to its old ways. Sorry Senator Valesky, but you (and Upstate New York) got the shaft.

Aubertine Files Suit

State Senator Darrel Aubertine, of Cape Vincent, filed suit with the New York State Supreme Court against his former colleagues in the New York State Assembly. Aubertine, a Democrat, alleges that when Senator Frank Padavan, a Republican, walked through the Senate chamber on June 30th while all of the Senate Democrats were present, he provided quorum needed in order to vote on and pass bills. The Senate rules state that, unless a member votes in opposition to a bill, all present senators automatically vote ‘yes’ on any bill that comes to the floor during a session. Aubertine claims that when Senator Padavan walked through the chamber on his way to the vending machine he supplied the Democrats with a quorum and because he didn’t vote against any of their bills, the rules state that he voted for them by default. Padavan and the Republicans insist that he did not provide a quorum. Aubertine wants the court to compel the Assembly to deliver the bills passed in that session to the Governor for his signature.

Joe Gets Joan

Joe Nicoletti continues to roll out endorsements. Assemblywoman Joan Christensen, a fellow Democrat who served with Joe during his brief stint in the State Assembly, endorsed her former colleague in his quest to become mayor of Syracuse. In a developing theme, she cited Stephanie Miner’s temperament as a reason she is supporting Joe over Stephanie, the designated Democrat in the race. Christensen praised Joe’s “ability to cooperate,” noting that Stephanie has “a different technique,” a subtle swipe at Stephanie’s reputation as an obstructionist. Will Stephanie Miner counterattack with an endorsement of her own in the next few days? Time will tell.

Corning Mayor Runs for Congress

Republican Mayor of Corning Tom Reed announced that he would be challenging freshman Congressman Eric Massa (NY-29) in next year's congressional election. The election s sixteen months away, but Reed’s campaign says he needs an early start in order to raise his name ID and introduce himself to voters. Eric Massa defeated former Congressman Randy Kuhl in 2008 in a rematch of their 2006 election battle. Massa received just over 48% of the vote when he lost in 2006 and 51% of the vote when he won in 2008. On the presidential level, John McCain received more votes than Barack Obama, though just barely. The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting this seat in the 2010 elections and is touting Mayor Reed as an A-list recruit.

Some State Senate Stuff

As many of you have noticed, I have purposely been avoiding making posts to this blog regarding the situation in the State Senate. Despite the fact that this is happening in Albany, the most dysfunctional state legislature in the country, I didn’t actually believe that the shenanigans would be going on for this long. I wasn’t planning on getting into state politics on this blog, as I meant this to have a more local focus, but the fact that this has dragged on for so long has changed my mind. I will try to report on what local senators are doing as the process continues to unfold.

First, a recap: On June 8th, two unsavory downstate Democrats, both in legal troubles, switched sides temporarily to give Republicans a voting majority and ousted Senator Malcolm Smith from his position as Majority Leader. One of the wayward Democrats, Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. became President Pro-Tem and Minority Leader Dean Skelos became the new Majority Leader, or so claims the ‘coalition.’ Democrat Hiram Monserrate returned to his Democrat colleagues shortly afterward, leaving the chamber split 31-31, with each side claiming a true majority. Now the part about our local senators: Senator John DeFrancisco, a close ally of Senator Skelos, has been one of the most vocal Republicans involved in the coup, as you can see in the video below.


Senator Dave Valesky, who was the number two Democrat in the Senate under Malcolm Smith, has seen his leadership position evaporate and is none too pleased. Senator Darrel Aubertine offered a compromise plan to allow the State Senate to get some business done, even if just a single session, but it didn’t work. Governor David Paterson has been trying to resolve the issue and the New York State Supreme Court has even been involved, though there isn’t much precedent to work from. Despite everyone’s efforts, the State Senate remains deadlocked and now the Senate Democrats have taken to the airwaves attacking Republican senators, as seen in the attack on Senator DeFrancisco below.


I’ll try to keep you up to date when local senators play a role in the conflict over the next few days, weeks, or however long this lasts.

Joanie's New Deputy

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney announced the appointment of William Fisher to be her Deputy County Executive upon the retirement of longtime Deputy Ed Kochian. Mr. Fisher was, until this weekend, the CEO of Summit Software Company, located in Jamesville. He also served as the treasurer of Joanie’s 2007 campaign for County Executive, led her transition team after her election, and chairs the Fresh Start PAC, Joanie’s political action committee. Best of luck to him, he has big shoes to fill.