| And here come the challengers...
First, Uncle Joe himself seems likely to draw a challenger this fall and it appears as if two Dems may compete for the right to take him on.
Bruno Challenger Surfaces as Democrats Ride High
A prominent criminal defense attorney in Albany is preparing to announce his candidacy against the Republican leader of the Senate, Joseph Bruno, who hasn't faced a serious general election challenge since he was crowned majority leader in 1995.
Seeking to catch the wave of Democratic momentum following his party's upset victory in an upstate Senate election last month, the lawyer, Brian Premo, says he's convinced Mr. Bruno is beatable. "I have always believed that in our community, Joe is not as well-liked as he would like to believe and as others in the political arena might presume," he said in an interview.
"People are tired of the dysfunction in Albany, and in particular of Joe Bruno. He wants to take credit for everything he thinks is good in government, and he wants to take no responsibility for everything we know is bad in Albany," he said.
...
Saratoga leaders have yet to endorse a candidate. The supervisor of Saratoga Springs, Joanne Yepsen, a Democrat, is also considering mounting a bid against Mr. Bruno.
The state Democratic Party has yet to determine its favorite candidate or the extent of its involvement in the race.
And here comes a challenger for Bill Larkin in SD-39:
Sussman considers political office, again
Civil rights attorney Michael Sussman, who ran for Orange County executive some six years ago, may seek the Democratic nomination for the 39th District State Senate seat held by Republican William Larkin.
Sussman confirmed to MidHudsonNews.com that he is testing the political waters by talking to leadership about the possibility of running this fall. Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Jonathan Jacobson said Sussman has run the idea past him.
Saying no public official should have a "free ride" into office; Sussman acknowledged a run against Larkin would be an uphill battle.
Whether it is he or another candidate, Sussman said the Democratic Party would need to be united in support of that person to wage a full scale campaign for the seat.
Sussman, who heads up an alternative political group, the Democratic Alliance, said before he would make a decision to reenter politics, he would talk it over with party leadership and his family. |
