Former Bethlehem Town Supervisor Jack Cunningham will not be seeking his former office in the November election.
The Colonie Department of Public Works Commissioner came to the decision recently, as the Bethlehem Democratic Committee is interviewing candidates for its endorsements. Cunningham said he had received encouragement to throw his hat in the ring, and the possibility of a run had been a topic of speculation in the town since he narrowly lost to Supervisor Sam Messina in 2009.
Cunningham said he’s deeply involved in his job at Colonie and wants to see several things through, including a proposal to forge a private partnership to help run the town’s landfill.
…as much as it may sound corny to some people, my belief is that public service is not just about the individual but where you can fit in and best serve the public, he said.
The town’s Democratic Committee is set to meet Tuesday, May 24, to designate its candidates. Messina (an Independent) has interviewed with the party and is also seeking the GOP’s endorsement. Cunningham, a member of the Democratic Committee, said the party has interviewed several `very talented individuals` for the position, but declined to name names.
He added he would not be supporting Messina.
`I’m looking forward to supporting a challenger for Mr. Messina,` he said.
He also did not rule out the possibility of a future run at elected office.
`I really enjoyed being supervisor, I never said I would never run for the position again,` Cunningham said. `We’ll see what happens in the future.“
