Despite a 12-hour day in court Tuesday, Aug. 12, Joanne Yepsen will not be appearing on the Democratic primary ballot in September, according to a written release from the Saratoga Springs supervisor.
Albany State Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly rendered the decision late Wednesday. On Aug. 4, the State Board of Elections invalidated enough of the more than 1,300 signatures Yepsen collected to bring her 32 short of the 1,000 required to run in the primary. She filed a motion to validate and went to court hoping to overturn the decision on many of the signatures.
Signatures can be invalidated for a number of reasons. Signers must be registered to vote with the party in question, must live in the district, can sign only one candidate’s petition and must write their name and address exactly as they appear on the voter registration list.
Though Yepsen’s efforts validated many of her signatures, it was not enough to put her on the Sept. 9 ballot.
Although I am disappointed with the final outcome, we were able to validate many individuals’ signatures through our testimony, affidavits and mistakes found that would have been ignored had we not gone through the legal proceeding, wrote Yepsen. `I’m willing to accept the outcome and have faith in the process.`
She expressed in her statement and an earlier interview that she is eager to get back to public service.
Two Republican candidates for the 20th Congressional District were ejected from their race in a similar fashion. Michael Rocque and John Wallace fell short of the required 1,250 signatures after the Board of Elections invalidated many on Aug. 4.
The court decision leaves only two candidates running for the Democratic nomination in the 43rd. Brian Premo of Brunswick and former Kirsten Gillibrand staffer Mike Russo said that Yepsen’s departure will not affect their strategy.
`I don’t think it changes things for us,` said Russo. `We just keep our nose to the grindstone doing the things we need to do to execute our strategy.`
Yepsen has previously stated her belief that Russo was behind the objections to her signatures, and Premo criticized his opponent for exploiting what he called a `technicality` in the electoral system.
`Mike Russo was bragging about the fact he was going to knock her off the primary,` said Premo. `Everybody should be able to run in a primary, that’s the democratic process.`
The Saratoga County Democratic Committee endorsed Premo in May when it was assumed he would be running against longtime incumbent Joseph Bruno. After Bruno’s decision to not seek reelection, however, Russo joined the race and says he has scooped up 35 major endorsements to date.
Nassau Councilman Ray Seney and 112th District Assemblyman Roy McDonald will face off in the Republican primary.“