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Upstate New York: Across the Northeast:
Tag: 2008 Elections
Sandy Treadwell (R-Westport) or Sandy Treadwell (R-Lake Placid)?
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 04:30:18 PM EST
Apparently Republican 20th Congressional District candidate Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell may have some residency issues.
(Click to enlarge)
According to newsmeat.com, Treadwell's most recent campaign contribution filings, dated June 8th and June 15th, 2007, lists his residency as being in the Town of Westport, instead of the Village of Lake Placid, where he now claims to reside.
(Click to enlarge)
The Problem? The Town of Westport is located about 18 miles northeast of the 20th Congressional District boundaries (or 35 miles east of the Lake Placid Village) in the 23rd Congressional District now being represented by Republican John McHugh. Treadwell actually admitted last February at an Essex County Republican Committee meeting that he purchased property in Lake Placid back in 2004 so it could appear as though he was living within the 20th Congressional District boundary lines. As some may recall, at the time, Treadwell, a close ally of George Pataki, was contemplating challenging ex-U.S. Rep. John Sweeney (R - Clifton Park) in a primary, largely because of Sweeney's ongoing feuds with the former governor. From the Essex County Republican Committee Minutes, February 27, 2007:
(Click to enlarge)
According to newsmeat.com, Treadwell's most recent campaign contribution filings, dated June 8th and June 15th, 2007, lists his residency as being in the Town of Westport, instead of the Village of Lake Placid, where he now claims to reside.
(Click to enlarge)
The Problem? The Town of Westport is located about 18 miles northeast of the 20th Congressional District boundaries (or 35 miles east of the Lake Placid Village) in the 23rd Congressional District now being represented by Republican John McHugh. Treadwell actually admitted last February at an Essex County Republican Committee meeting that he purchased property in Lake Placid back in 2004 so it could appear as though he was living within the 20th Congressional District boundary lines. As some may recall, at the time, Treadwell, a close ally of George Pataki, was contemplating challenging ex-U.S. Rep. John Sweeney (R - Clifton Park) in a primary, largely because of Sweeney's ongoing feuds with the former governor. From the Essex County Republican Committee Minutes, February 27, 2007:
Sandy thanked the committee for the opportunity to meet with them and stated that he was interested in the 20th Congressional District. He stated that his family has lived in the Westport area for 101 years but Westport is not in the 20th Congressional District and although any citizen over 21 years of age can run in any district in America, back in 2004 he and his wife bought a house in Lake Placid and so Lake Placid is now his legal residence. Sandy stated that he is not an announced candidate yet but he is looking forward to the challenge and to represent Essex County as well as the 650,000 people in the 20th Congressional District.While the current federal law only requires that you live in the same state as the district in which you intend to run for Congress, some serious credibility issues are raised when Treadwell may not actually reside where he claims to be living.
(2 comments) Comments >>
Could John McHugh Now Have a 2008 Challenger?
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Fri Jun 29, 2007 at 10:25:22 AM EST
North Country Congressman John McHugh (R) may now have a 2008 Democratic challenger. Jeremy Brunton, 26, of Clinton County, has expressed his interest in running for the seat over at The Albany Project:
"I am writing today to introduce myself. My name is Jeremy Brunton and I plan on running for the House seat in the 23rd district in New York in 2008 as a Democrat.. My challenger will be Rep. John Mchugh. I know that I have a huge task in front of me. Considering a democrat has not held the seat since the 1800s. I plan on changing that hopefully with help from some of you. In order for me to even have a chance in this election, I must get organized early."
"I have lived what the politicians in Washington only think they know how it is. I want to bring my life experience to Washington and truly represent the "little man." I believe I can do this by inciting the middle class and youth to vote for real change. I want to pull of this upset and show that it not impossible to upset a high ranking congressmen that is out of touch with his people."
It is still unknown yet whether McHugh's 2004 and 2006 challenger, Dr. Bob Johnson (D) of Jefferson County, who now operates the McHugh Watch website, plans to challenge McHugh for a third time.
We wish Jeremy good luck, though.
NY-20: Looks like Treadwell and Wager Are In?
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 01:17:53 PM EST
While the Republicans can?t seem to find anybody to run for Congress in many parts of the country due to the current sad and pathetic state of their party, (unfortunately) the wingnuts just can?t seem to leave us alone here in the 20th?
According to The Post-Star, both Bloomberg hack Richard Wager and ex-state Republican chair Alexander ?Sandy? Treadwell are in the process of setting up exploratory committees to run for Congress in the 20th Congressional District against Kirsten Gillibrand in 2008.
Here?s what one blogger recently had to say about a potential Treadwell challenge of Gillibrand?
According to The Post-Star, both Bloomberg hack Richard Wager and ex-state Republican chair Alexander ?Sandy? Treadwell are in the process of setting up exploratory committees to run for Congress in the 20th Congressional District against Kirsten Gillibrand in 2008.
Here?s what one blogger recently had to say about a potential Treadwell challenge of Gillibrand?
?Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) has nothing to worry about here (if she does) the job work for her constituents. If she takes care of her people they will take care of her. If she works for her district (she?ll) let the likes of Sandy Treadwell twist in the down draft of the RNC?s corrupt The F.O.G. Elite. If all the RNC can muster is a political hack from (the) party central times are tough and the going is rough.?Yes, times must certainly be tough if the GOP wants somebody who was one of the largest contributors to George W. Bush?s 2005 inauguration to run here next year. Overall, Gillibrand is looking safer and safer by the day, especially in the wake of a potential meltdown for the GOP in 2008?
Democratic Challengers Emerging for the 26th District
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Sun Apr 01, 2007 at 10:43:52 AM EST
According to The Albany Project, Jonathan Powers, 28, an Iraq War veteran and founder of War Kids Relief may challenge Republican incumbent Tom Reynolds in the suburban Buffalo-based 26th Congressional District.
Reynolds, now infamously known for his role in helping to cover up for the misdeeds of disgraced Congressman Mark Foley, was narrowly re-elected last year over multimillionaire industrialist Jack Davis, who apparently is now mulling a third attempt to run for the seat.
NY-Sen-45: Merrick to Run Again?
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:47:15 PM EST
According to The Post-Star, Democrat Timothy Merrick of Plattsburg who challenged Betty Little in 2006 for the 45th Senate District seat is mulling another run for office.
Timothy Merrick, a chiropractor from Plattsburgh who ran for state Senate against incumbent Republican Elizabeth Little of Queensbury last year was among those in attendance...Rumors have been surfacing lately that Merrick most likely will attempt a re-match of Betty Little for the 45th Senate District seat, which (unfortunately) is severely gerrymandered to favor the incumbent, with current enrollment being 43% Republican to only 29% Democratic. It would be nice to see Little voted out, considering her extreme right-wing voting record, as well as her severe support of corporate interests, such as the pharmaceutical and insurance industries who have given thousands towards Little?s most recent campaigns. Last year, Little received the worst rating in the State Senate from both the Drum Major Institute, a reform-oriented watchdog group, as well as New York Environmental Advocates.
Merrick said he is "open" to running for public office at some level again.
"I'm interested to see what the party wants and the people need," he said.
Another possibility I could see is Merrick challenging freshman Assemblywoman Janet Duprey (R) for the North Country-based 114th Assembly seat where Democratic and Republican enrollment is nearly at parity. (As of November 2006, there were 29,464 Republicans and 28,870 Democrats in the 114th District) My thought is that perhaps by running for the Assembly, Merrick could make a much more formidable challenge, given the even partisan tilt of the 114th District, and the fact that the current Assemblywoman is not all that entrenched.
What ever he chooses to do, Merrick deserves the support of the progressive grassroots base. Very much unlike Betty Little or Janet Duprey, Merrick is a strong supporter of progressive principles, such as progressive taxation, stem cell research, as well as closing loopholes in healthcare insurance. All in all, we need more Spitzer Democrats like Merrick representing Upstate in the legislature, instead of the current right-wing types like Little, Bruno, Sayward, and Duprey, who are only seeking to hold back progress and obstruct Spitzer?s agenda of reform.
(2 comments) Comments >>
NY-29: New Anti-Kuhl Radio Spots Being Aired
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 03:17:44 PM EST
According to the Fighting29th, Americans United for Change, a national labor-oriented organization, has begun airing ads this week targeting Republican Randy Kuhl in the 29th Congressional District for his vote against the Employee Free Choice Act.
Maury Thompson: Treadwell's Cheerleader
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Fri Mar 09, 2007 at 12:17:14 PM EST
Maury Thompson, the political editor of The (Glens Falls) Post-Star has published another article, now with Johnsburg Supervisor Bill Thomas endorsing Sandy Treadwell for Congress and offers a few quotes of him praising Treadwell's (not so) accomplished work (I just want to gag when the article opens up with Treadwell being "just a special person"). My big question - is it even relevant or newsworthy when supervisors of hamlets which practically aren't even on the map make endorsements? Worse, Maury was writing a few days ago about the Thurman supervisor endorsing Gillibrand. Yes, Thurman where half the roads aren't even paved. (It almost seems like this is an effort amongst The Post-Star publishers to try to do whatever they can to start to build momentum behind the Treadwell campaign)
It is very tough to try to work to build a Democratic majority in our region when much of the area?s major media sources only appear to be working to ensure continued dominance of the area?s Republican machine. For once it would be nice to see The Post-Star and The Saratogian no longer cave into their Republican-fundraising advertisers and start to deliver more accurate, unbiased political content. Recently, it?s appeared almost as if Maury Thompson and The Post-Star have become literal cheerleaders for the 2008 Treadwell and Wager campaigns, parroting almost anything the local GOP bosses in Saratoga and Warren Counties want them to say.
Kirsten Gillibrand has been the biggest threat (or nuisance) the local Republican machines have faced in a long time. Because nearly 90% of the area?s political offices have traditionally been held by the GOP, the Republicans have been able to easily continue their one-party fiefdom throughout the Tri-County region, as nearly no local Democratic officeholders have even been around to positively reinforce the progressive brand or offer constituent services in the area. Not to mention the fact that for many years, registering Republican in the Tri-County region was the only way for many people to advance their career prospects or avoid getting their assessments jacked. Now that Gillibrand has been getting quite a positive response in the area, there certainly has to be a major angst amongst the Republican establishment in Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties that Gillibrand?s popularity could eventually lead to increased Democratic victories at the local and county levels. For a political party that?s basically had a monopoly on all the area?s political offices, as well as controlled most of the patronage jobs for nearly a century and a half perhaps it?s not so easy to deal with the reality that a more open-minded, two-party political system may be in the process of emerging in the Tri-County Region. (This could be why the machine is now making such an early, aggressive effort to take down Gillibrand)
But it?s more than just this - Maybe these old archaic conservative dinosaurs that currently rule don?t want (or are afraid of) a system where women would finally have equal representation on our county legislatures, or where environmental conservationists rule instead of the anti-APA wingnuts who could care less if the Adirondack Park starts to look like Germany?s Black Forest. (Let?s see what the wingnuts have to say when the economy of northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties go even further into the toilet because they can no longer get revenue from the tourists. Besides this, it would also be whether the wignuts take pride in the fact Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties received some of the lowest scores in the state for lack of gender diversity from the Susan B. Anthony Center)
However the ramifications of electoral change would be even larger than policy change - it would mean that for once the people in most towns and villages throughout Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties may actually have a choice of two candidates to choose from on the ballot, instead of the current system where Jasper Nolan, Mike Bittel and Mike Grasso basically hire all the local officeholders. Think about it ? for the first time in years, there may actually be a real political democracy around here. We many actually become like most places in America with two-party contested elections for a change.. One person sent me an e-mail last year and said something along these lines - ?Colin, living in Washington County is like living in Saddam Hussein?s Iraq. For every office, we usually only have the choice of one candidate who we can either pull the lever for on the Republican line or the Conservative line. Do we really want to continue to feel like we?re living in a third-world nation politically??
It is very tough to try to work to build a Democratic majority in our region when much of the area?s major media sources only appear to be working to ensure continued dominance of the area?s Republican machine. For once it would be nice to see The Post-Star and The Saratogian no longer cave into their Republican-fundraising advertisers and start to deliver more accurate, unbiased political content. Recently, it?s appeared almost as if Maury Thompson and The Post-Star have become literal cheerleaders for the 2008 Treadwell and Wager campaigns, parroting almost anything the local GOP bosses in Saratoga and Warren Counties want them to say.
Kirsten Gillibrand has been the biggest threat (or nuisance) the local Republican machines have faced in a long time. Because nearly 90% of the area?s political offices have traditionally been held by the GOP, the Republicans have been able to easily continue their one-party fiefdom throughout the Tri-County region, as nearly no local Democratic officeholders have even been around to positively reinforce the progressive brand or offer constituent services in the area. Not to mention the fact that for many years, registering Republican in the Tri-County region was the only way for many people to advance their career prospects or avoid getting their assessments jacked. Now that Gillibrand has been getting quite a positive response in the area, there certainly has to be a major angst amongst the Republican establishment in Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties that Gillibrand?s popularity could eventually lead to increased Democratic victories at the local and county levels. For a political party that?s basically had a monopoly on all the area?s political offices, as well as controlled most of the patronage jobs for nearly a century and a half perhaps it?s not so easy to deal with the reality that a more open-minded, two-party political system may be in the process of emerging in the Tri-County Region. (This could be why the machine is now making such an early, aggressive effort to take down Gillibrand)
But it?s more than just this - Maybe these old archaic conservative dinosaurs that currently rule don?t want (or are afraid of) a system where women would finally have equal representation on our county legislatures, or where environmental conservationists rule instead of the anti-APA wingnuts who could care less if the Adirondack Park starts to look like Germany?s Black Forest. (Let?s see what the wingnuts have to say when the economy of northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties go even further into the toilet because they can no longer get revenue from the tourists. Besides this, it would also be whether the wignuts take pride in the fact Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties received some of the lowest scores in the state for lack of gender diversity from the Susan B. Anthony Center)
However the ramifications of electoral change would be even larger than policy change - it would mean that for once the people in most towns and villages throughout Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties may actually have a choice of two candidates to choose from on the ballot, instead of the current system where Jasper Nolan, Mike Bittel and Mike Grasso basically hire all the local officeholders. Think about it ? for the first time in years, there may actually be a real political democracy around here. We many actually become like most places in America with two-party contested elections for a change.. One person sent me an e-mail last year and said something along these lines - ?Colin, living in Washington County is like living in Saddam Hussein?s Iraq. For every office, we usually only have the choice of one candidate who we can either pull the lever for on the Republican line or the Conservative line. Do we really want to continue to feel like we?re living in a third-world nation politically??
Stec: "Leave Her Alone"
By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Fri Mar 09, 2007 at 10:54:46 AM EST
Republican Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec is urging local GOP officials to leave Congresswoman Gillibrand alone...
From The Post-Star, March 9, 2007:
From The Post-Star, March 9, 2007:
Area Republicans should give new U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, until the end of the year to show whether she will represent the interests of the 20th Congressional District, Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec said Thursday. " 'Leave her alone for 2007' is my motto," Stec, a Republican, said in a telephone interview. To demonstrate his good faith, Stec said, he has accepted Gillibrand's invitation to serve on a volunteer panel that will advise the congresswoman on veterans' issues.
| Next 8 >> |
Front Page
Sunday January 20th
+ Sandy Treadwell: Not One of Us... (0 comments)
Wednesday January 16th
+ Saratoga County Democratic Chair Shows True Color! (1 comments)
Tuesday January 15th
+ State of Town of Corinth (1 comments)
Monday January 7th
+ NY 48th Senate District: Wright Resigns; Special Election to be Held (0 comments)
Tuesday January 1st
+ Yepsen vs. Bruno? Keehn vs. Tedisco? (0 comments)
Friday December 21st
+ Web Site for Corinth (0 comments)
Sunday December 16th
+ Corinth (0 comments)
Friday November 9th
+ Saratoga County: Progressives Becoming a Powerful Force in Local Politics... (0 comments)
Wednesday November 7th
+ Attention Democrats: St. Lawrence County Needs Your Help (0 comments)
Tuesday November 6th
+ Warren County: More Republicans are running on the Democratic line than Democrats! (0 comments)
