With Assemblyman Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, seeking a shot at the state’s 43rd Senate District seat that will be left vacant by Joseph Bruno’s, R-Brunswick, departure, a Washington County Republican spent the holiday weekend gathering signatures for his designating petition for McDonald’s position.
Fellow Republican Anthony Jordan, from Jackson, Washington County, has already been endorsed by McDonald in the race for the 112th Assembly District. Jordan, a partner in the firm Jordan and Kelly, is a practicing attorney and lives with his wife of 21 years, Wendy, and their four children, Gaby, 12, Tricia, 10, Luke, 8 and Eliza, 7.
He says he will focus his run on property taxes and the rising cost of home heating fuel.
It is just getting to the point where people with fixed incomes are going to have real difficulty, Jordan said.
While he would like to see property taxes capped, he said, `The most important thing is to bring spending under control. It is not enough to just reduce the tax burden.`
Jordan also acknowledged that agriculture is a major part of the economy where he is running, and that he wants to provide the best possible environment in the state for farmers.
The challenge for Jordan, although he says he is looking forward to it, is meeting all the people in a large geographic district. Despite the challenge, he said it is a great opportunity to understand a diverse range of issues that afflict his constituents.
When asked if he held an advantage in the majority-Republican district, Jordan said, `The advantage will be how hard I am willing to work in 112th District. That is what people in these areas expect and deserve.`
In addition to providing pro-bono legal aid to fire districts and ambulance cores, Jordan is also a youth soccer coach, co-leader of his son’s Cub Scouts and president of the Greenwich Lions Club.
He earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and received his bachelor’s degree in business and finance from the University of Notre Dame.
Jordan submitted his petition with more than 2,000 signatures Tuesday, July 9, after deciding to run Friday, June 27, when McDonald said he would seek to fill the vacant seat left by Bruno.
Jordan said several people went out over the long holiday weekend to seek signatures for his petition, which had to be filed with the state Board of Elections by Thursday, July 10.
`We have good grassroots broad based support,` Jordan said of his campaign.
He plans to roll out a Web site in the near future and officially announce his candidacy next week, although a specific date has not been set.
`Tony Jordan will represent Saratoga County very well in the State Assembly. His private sector experience coupled with his community involvement and family background in farming is exactly what we need in Albany,` said Saratoga County Republican Chairman John `Jasper` Nolan. `I know he will do a great job carrying on the work of Roy McDonald in the Assembly.`
`I think Tony will be a great partner,` said Assemblyman McDonald, who believes Jordan can easily win the Republican district that covers Washington County and parts of Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties, including Saratoga Springs and Malta. There are 39,373 registered Republicans in the district, versus 21,712 Democrats.
Challenging Jordan will be Ian McGaughey, a business owner who is serving his second term on the Wilton Town Board. The demographics of the 112th don’t worry him, he says.
`I have a history of winning underdog elections,` he said, referencing his wins in Wilton, where Republicans also outnumber Democrats. He also mentioned U.S. Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat who was elected to represent New York’s 20th Congressional District in 2006.
McGaughey is also running on some conservative beliefs, such as decreasing the state budget. `In order to curtail out of control taxes in New York State, we need to control the budget,` he said. `I think my record as a town councilman in Wilton has been very conservative when it comes to spending,` he said, adding that there is no town tax in Wilton.
His first move if he can capture an Assembly seat? Enacting a property tax `circuit breaker,` which is designed to provide homeowners with relief once their property taxes reach a certain portion of their income.
`Property taxes have the most effect on people with low to medium incomes,` said McGaughey. `I think that tax relief based on income is the best solution.`
Bruno’s announced exit from the political sphere has caused the legislative deck to be reshuffled. Roy McDonald’s desire to slip into his vacancy means that another incumbent seat will be open this election cycle, and that has resulted in a scramble to snag spots on the ballot for the 112th State Assembly District race.
Some have expressed fears that Senate Majority Leader Bruno’s departure could be a blow to the Capital District. At any rate, it paints high expectations for his successor.
McDonald acknowledged that he will not be at the level of Bruno from day one.
`Certainly I’ll be doing my best to replace him,` said McDonald. `It’s like talking to the next guy to come in to replace Joe DiMaggio I think that nobody is going to fill those shoes.`
McDonald did point to his experience in the Assembly and his roots in Saratoga Springs, saying, `I do think I bring a tremendous amount of experience in the public and private sector.`
This will be McDonald’s second stab at the State Senate. He ran in 1992, attempting to unseat Senator Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna.
Ray Seney, a member of the Nassau Town Board, will be challenging McDonald in the September primaries.
Charles Wiff contributed to this story.“