|
This belongs to you. Take it back...
|
Brian Premo 
Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 13:13:34 PM EDT
|
|
The 43rd Senate District had a Democratic primary and Republican primary last night, although the Republican primary wasn't close. Roy McDonald won the Republican primary with 85 percent of the vote.
But it was Mike Russo who pulled out the Democratic primary over Brian Premo. Russo did it convincingly too, beating Premo 2 to 1. It was not a good night for Premo. He also lost the Working Families Party line. The WFP endorsed Premo but Christopher Consuello won to get on the ballot in November.
This race will be a tough one, but Russo is a strong candidate to have in our corner. Here is more on the race (from the Times-Union):
McDonald, R-Saratoga, defeated Nassau Councilman Ray Seney in the GOP primary 8,779 to 1,507 with all election districts reporting, according to unofficial results from the Rensselaer County and Saratoga County Boards of Election. McDonald also will appear on the Independence and Conservative lines in the Nov. 4 general election.
``I've always been project oriented,'' McDonald said. ``I've always looked for results. We'll contribute to a positive dialogue.''
Bruno endorsed McDonald and his Senate staff worked on the campaign.
Senate Majority Leader, Dean Skelos, R-Rockeville Center, Bruno's successor, appeared with McDonald last week to hand over a $1.1 million check to Rensselaer to help the municipality recover from flood damage.
In the Democratic primary, Russo of Saratoga defeated Brian Premo of Brunswick 5,119 to 2,598 with all of the election districts reporting, according to unofficial results.
``It's been a tremendous effort in a very short time. It's on to make a difference in the 43rd,'' said Russo, who has the backing of organized labor.
Russo won handily (as did McDonald) but the fact that Premo couldn't even hold onto the WFP line speaks volumes.
ON THE WEB:
Mike Russo's ActBlue Page
|
|
Discuss
:: (4
Comments)
|
|
Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 10:13:01 AM EDT
|
ANALYSIS
SD-11 - Rating changed to Leans Republican: The rating was altered after research into this district and Sen. Padavan. The enrollment advantage goes to the Democrats and Jim Gennaro can run a strong campaign. But there is a reason Padavan has won this district over and over again. Is he vulnerable? To some extent he is. It is a Democratic year in a predominantly Democratic district so he should worry. His incumbency isn't in total danger though.
SD-25 - Primary between Connor and Squadron: The winner of the general will be a Democrat. The question is which one? Will it be the veteran Connor? Or will it be the challenger Squadron, who is mounting a very serious challenge to Connor's incumbent.
SD-61 - Three way Democratic primary: This is another important primary because this seat could turn blue in November. Ratzenhofer is a Republican in a slightly Republican district, but this is not a safe seat for the GOP. A Democrat can win this seat. Now we just need to settle a three-way Democratic contest before moving forward.
|
|
Discuss
:: (25
Comments)
|
|
Mon Jun 30, 2008 at 10:24:21 AM EDT
|
|
The race to replace the retiring Joe Bruno is heating up fast as a number of Democrats are poised to join Brian Premo in a primary for the Democratic nod.
Race for Bruno's seat still in flux
Former city Mayor Valerie Keehn is out. City Supervisor Joanne Yepsen and Michael Russo, an ex-local union leader, want in.
Saratoga County Democrats emerged from two days of meetings on Saturday with a different lineup for the 43rd District state Senate seat now held by retiring Sen. Joseph Bruno.
...
Russo, who now works as district officer for U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, said in a brief phone interview Saturday that he, too, started circulating petitions to join the race.
"I am strongly considering (a run)," he said.
He and Yepsen need 1,000 signatures each from enrolled Democrats in the district by July 10 to challenge the only Democrat officially in the race -- Rensselaer County Democrat Brian Premo of Brunswick -- in a September primary.
...
I'm under a lot of pressure to call a county meeting to reconvene and reconsider this race," Saratoga County Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman said. "We're not going to do that. We're just going to move forward and good Democrats are going to do what good Democrats are going to do."
I'm hearing that Russo is definitely in and should be formally announcing soon. That gives us a minimum of three Democrats running for Uncle Joe's seat, a very good sign. I had assumed that this seat would be a real tough nut to crack for Dems given that it was custom built by and for Joe Bruno as well as run by folks who owe the Bruno machine everything. The fact that we have Dems lining up to take this challenge on tells me that those on the ground see a real opportunity here.
I like that.
|
|
Discuss
:: (2
Comments)
|
|
Thu Jun 26, 2008 at 21:47:14 PM EDT
|
|
The biggest news item of the week was Joe Bruno's retirement from the Senate. That left his 43rd Senate District seat open, which has already garnered interest from a number of people on both sides of the aisle.
First, the Democratic side. Brian Premo has been a candidate and was going to challenge Bruno regardless. But with Bruno's retirement comes a few names being tossed around. According to sources with knowledge of the situation in SD-43, former Saratoga Springs Mayor Val Keehn is gathering signatures and prepping for a primary bid against Premo. Also, Saratoga County Supervisor Joanne Yepsen is being mentioned as a possible candidate who is considering a run. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand staffer Mike Russo is also considering a run.
On the Republican side, the Times-Union has the situation covered:
Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino, a Republican who had been considering running to succeed retiring Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno in his seat representing the 43rd Senate District, says she will not run.
On Monday, Bruno made the surprise announcement that he was stepping down this week as majority leader and would not run in November for another 2-year term. Attorney Brian Premo of Rensselaer County already was running on the Democratic line, and Assemblyman Roy McDonald of Saratoga County was the first Republican to be mentioned as a likely candidate.
Jimino, who served as Troy city manager, Troy budget director and a Rensselaer County legislator before running for county executive, also has worked on the Senate's fiscal staff.
It looks as though Republican Assemblyman Roy McDonald will be a candidate, at least a possible candidate.
Things are taking shape. The Democratic field will probably be more interesting, considering the names already being tossed around as possible contenders.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 15:34:12 PM EDT
|
|
Because today, the last day in the last regular legislative session that Bruno's Republicans will control for a long, long time, brings us another odd clue that it may be Uncle Joe's last hurrah as well. A few weeks ago we learned that the long neglected Senate Minority conference room received a rather extensive renovation, a move that some interpreted as a sign that the Republican majority in the Senate could see the writing on the wall and wanted to spruce up the joint while they still controlled the spending to do so. I'm also hearing quite a bit about some rather vicious infighting in Uncle Joe's caucus and much of it appears to be generational in nature. The Republican majority in the New York State Senate is on the way out and they all know it. This seems to have some members, particularly the younger ones, fairly upset. Today we learn that one of Joe Bruno's closest aides is being set up with a long term gig at a significant pay cut.
Bruno loyalist getting multiyear appointment
Edward P. Stahr, one of Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's trusted aides, is set up to be confirmed for a post with the New York State Employment Relations Board. The notable thing is he's taking a pay cut for a longer-term deal.
Already some Republican insiders wonder if Bruno won't run again. Now, by moving his director of constituent relations to a fixed-term job, people are scratching their heads.
Stahr has been receiving about $115,000 a year as a Senate staffer. The new post on SERB would pay $90,800 and run through 2010.
An experienced Dem hand in Albany spoke to me about the possibility of Bruno "taking a dive", as he put it, last week. I'll believe that when Bruno actually holds a press conference where he throws in the towel, not before, but the signs that he may be at least considering spending more time with his horses continue to mount.
Though he appears to be an excellent health, Bruno is not a young man. He lost his wife of 57 years earlier this year and that pesky federal investigation doesn't seem to be letting up much. But, the single biggest factor in a possible Bruno exit has got to be that it's increasingly obvious that the GOP's long, long run at the wheel of the Senate is most certainly coming to an end. Bruno (and his entire caucus) has never spent a day in the minority and I very much doubt that either he or many of his crew wish to do so. If they do indeed lose their majority in November, with or without Bruno, look for a rash of retirements in the GOP ranks (and another rash of special elections.)
This doesn't mean for a second that the Senate GOP is about to lay down, whether Bruno retires or not. They won't. This is an existential fight for them, their Alamo, and they know it. In fact, it doesn't really appear that they have any agenda at all outside of mere survival this fall. They don't seem to have a plan for anything past November 4, 2008. What they do after losing the majority or after miraculously hanging on by the skin of their teeth will have to be made up on the fly on November 5th.
It's entirely possible, if not likely, that Uncle Joe will lead his troops into battle one last time but, given the signs that continue to pop up in and around Bruno, it maybe shouldn't be a huge surprise if at sometime in the next few weeks he decides he's ridden his last rodeo.
|
|
Discuss
:: (4
Comments)
|
|
Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 10:45:36 AM EDT
|
|
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.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
