Two objections have been filed in Bethlehem races on both the Working Families Party and the Independence Party lines against Supervisor Jack Cunningham and his slate for running in the fall elections.
Independence Party Councilman Sam Messina is challenging Cunningham, a Democrat, for supervisor and is cross-endorsed by the Republican, Conservative and Working Families parties after his own party endorsed Cunningham.
The two are set to face off in September in a primary for the Independence line after Messina petitioned for it. On Wednesday, July 22, Cunningham filed an opportunity to ballot on the Working Families Party line against Messina, which if accepted by the board of elections would allow party members to write in a candidate.
According to documents obtained by The Spotlight, a Working Families Party member filed an objection against Cunningham’s opportunity to ballot form the same day Cunningham filed it. The Independence Party member objection was filed on Monday, July 20, and is a general objection to the designating petitions of Cunningham, Mark Jordan, Kyle Kotary, Nanci Moquin and Gregg Sagendorph.
The Independence objection was general, but the Working Families Party objection lists three specific objections to Cunningham’s five-signature petition. It states the witness signatures pre-date the signers’ signatures, with signers dated on July 19 and 20 and the witness statements signed on June 21; there is no sheet number on the petition; and that the objectors believe no oath was administered at time of signatures.
Cunningham said he doesn’t believe the Independence Party objection was filed on time. Albany County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Matthew Clyne, who is also Bethlehem’s Democratic chairman, said they received the Independence Party general objection but has not received a specific objection.
Clyne said specific objections would have to be received six days after the general objection or `there would be no objection.` One was not handed as of press time on Monday, July 27, which was the last day it would be due.
As for the Working Families Party objection, Clyne said `the ruling will be made later on this week,` by himself and the Republican Commissioner, John Graziano, who is also the Albany County Republican chairman.
Messina said he was `up front` with all political parties in telling them he was seeking the support of a coalition of political parties to represent all people. The Spotlight confirmed with each of the party chairs that endorsed Messina that they knew he was running on the other lines, including the Conservative and Working Families parties.
Cunningham said he is appealing `directly to the people` of the Working Families Party, which he said has a political philosophy more in line with his own than that of Messina who has the backing of Republicans and Conservatives.
`I am seeking the support of the Working Families Party. The party leadership is not where that determination is made,` Cunningham said. `That authority lies with the party members, first through the petition process and later through a vote on primary day.`
Karen Scharff, spokeswoman for the Working Families Party of the Capital District, said Cunningham never interviewed with her party and they believe Messina is the better supervisor candidate because of his calls for more open government, which has become a contentious issue in both campaigns.
`If Jack Cunningham had wanted our endorsement he could have talked with us. Now all of a sudden because Sam has the line he wants our support,` Scharff told The Spotlight. `We choose candidates to allow voters to have a choice and they’re attempting to take away that choice through subterfuge.`
Cunningham said he thinks an opportunity to ballot will only serve to open up the process and questioned the petition objection from a Working Families Party member.
`Unlike my opponent, I did not file objections to attempt to prevent the party members from having the opportunity to vote,` he said.
For updates on the petition objections at the Albany County Board of Elections, return to www.spotlightnews.com.
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