About

The Albany Project seeks to return New York State Government to its rightful owners - the people.

New York Blogwire

This belongs to you. Take it back...

Golisano Backs Six Democrats, Seven Republicans In Initial Round Of Endorsements

by: robert.harding

Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 12:36:22 PM EDT

The first round of endorsements by Tom Golisano and Responsible New York were announced today and the list includes a bi-partisan group of candidates and incumbents.

The list of endorsed candidates:

DEMOCRATS
- SD-25: Sen. Martin Connor
- SD-56: Rick Dollinger
- SD-58: Sen. Bill Stachowski
- SD-59: Kathy Konst (Note: That is her congressional campaign website. I have yet to find a senate site for her.)
- SD-61: Joe Mesi
- AD-144: Barbra Kavanaugh

REPUBLICANS
- SD-7: Barbara Donno
- SD-43: Roy McDonald
- SD-51: Sen. Jim Seward
- SD-57: Sen. Catharine Young
- SD-62: Sen. George Maziarz
- AD-138: Paula Banks-Dahlke
- AD-142: Jane Corwin

So who are they going to be helping out more than the rest?

The organization said it would devote particular energy to helping four candidates in key races: Mr. Connor, who once did legal work for one of Mr. Golisano's campaigns; Mr. Dollinger; Mr. Mesi; and Barbra Kavanaugh, a former member of the Buffalo City Council who is running in the Democratic primary against Assemblyman Sam Hoyt.

The choice of Connor is interesting to me. But this is Tom Golisano and if you are extremely loyal to him, he will return the favor. Based on what I have heard, Golisano and Dollinger actually are friends. That explains that endorsement. The Mesi endorsement was expected, because of Golisano aide Steve Pigeon's connection to the Mesi campaign. Kavanaugh shouldn't be surprising either, not only because of the Pigeon connection but because Golisano has already given her $3,800.

No big surprises on the Republican side. Seward's name was being mentioned in the past as a possible Golisano endorsed candidate. The Donno endorsement is intriguing considering that race, at least to my knowledge, wasn't mentioned in any previous speculation about who Golisano/Responsible New York would endorse. Maziarz and Dahlke all have links to Pigeon (more on that later). Backing McDonald in SD-43 means that Golisano will be helping the GOP take back Joe Bruno's seat.

There is a much larger story for a few of these candidates. I will have more on that later. I am certain more endorsements will be coming. There has been speculation about David Nachbar being endorsed by Golisano and there have been other names mentioned in the past. We'll see what that turns into.

For now though, these are your first 13 Golisano-backed candidates.

robert.harding :: Golisano Backs Six Democrats, Seven Republicans In Initial Round Of Endorsements

Tags: Tom Golisano, Responsible New York, Democratic Party, Republican Party, New York State Senate, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

Golisano Backs Six Democrats, Seven Republicans In Initial Round Of Endorsements | 3 comments

Once again, Illegal (0.00 / 0)

sigh
I will repeat again why none of this is legal.

No person is allowed to spend more than 150,000 dollars of their own money in one year in relation to the election of candidates to office. Golisano is spending 33 times that much. Therefore the entire operation is illegal.

Further, it is illegal for him to spend more than $6000 toward the election of Konst, she told WGRZ in May that she met with Golisano and discussed Responsible NY; that is legally coordination and makes his committee Authorized in relation to her, and therefore bound by spending limits.

Also, RNY can spend no money on behalf of Barbara Kavanaugh; Golisano has already donated to her which legally counts as coordination and therefore RNY is limited to $3800 for the Primary, minus whatever Golisano gave, which is $3800, so they cannot assist her.

Finally, RNY is limited to $6000 to promote the Election of Joe Mesi, plus another $9500 after primary day, as Steve Pigeon was listed as a check signer for RNY and Mesi's campaign simultaneously, which is clearly coordination, and therefore binds RNY to the spending limits for the race.

by: Amherst Guy @ Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 18:36:43 PM UTC

Mesi? Kavanaugh? (0.00 / 0)

Come on. I really hope the voters see through this. Let's get a bag of rocks, fund the hell out of it and hope the electorate is ignorant enough to buy it.

They aren't even letting him go door-to-door anymore. He can't even string a sentence taugh to him together.

I think Tom Golisano is skitso. Create the Independence Party. Register Republican. Fund the Dem. host committee in Denver.

This guy is nuts.

Joe Mesi is an insult to all the voters in the 61st.

Shame on Barbra for not removing her ad from Iluzzi's site. Shame on Barbra for her half-hearted empathy for the Hoyt family. I hope she remembers this when they turn on her and start bashing her "lifestyle." When they trash her, she'll be all alone with none of us coming to her rescue.

by: buffalomom @ Fri Aug 22, 2008 at 19:48:48 PM UTC

Tommy - Thanks a ton! (0.00 / 0)

Joe Mesi is an unemployed boxer desperately seeking a job.

I mean, it's tough for him: he's not qualified for anything at all, he's never held a real job in his life, and he's backed by the machine that's dragged the area down for years, like Steve Casey and Steve Pigeon.

Fortunately for Joe, The great savior Tom Golisano is willing to break any law to make sure that Babied Joe's first real job ever is as a State Senator.

People with no credentials, no experience, and a love for the status quo: That's what will turn New York around!

Wait - no - that's a terrible idea. Joe Mesi needs a job - but it sure better not be as My State Senator.

Find Joe a Job!

Help Find Joe Mesi a Job!

by: Joe Mesi Needs A Job! @ Sun Aug 24, 2008 at 04:26:40 AM UTC