There’s been yet another shakeup in the Bethlehem supervisor race that’s effectively opened up the Conservative line to all comers.
Albany County Supreme Court Judge Thomas McNamara today ruled in favor of Kyle Kotary’s lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Conservative Party’s late endorsement of John Clarkson. But in doing so, he also authorized an opportunity to ballot race to be held on that line in the upcoming September primary.
The lawsuit centered on the Conservative Party’s certificate to substitute Clarkson for sitting Supervisor Sam Messina, who had originally garnered the party’s endorsement before he bowed out of the race. Kotary argued a section of this form had not been properly notarized, nullifying the substitution.
This midnight deal to mislead the voters was done in such haste that they forgot to follow the law. The judge agreed. Hopefully, my opponents will now join me in signing the Fair Campaign Pledge, and in running an open, transparent, and issue-based campaign, Kotary said in a statement following the ruling.
Clarkson issued his own statement.
`Kyle’s lawsuit took advantage of apparent procedural errors, serving his campaign strategy of limiting choice. The voters are not well served by such technical legal wrangles, and I would not have launched such a lawsuit, nor challenged his petitions. Kyle’s nonsensical linkage of whether a substitution certificate was properly notarized with a supposed ‘deal’ is classic psychological projection. Kyle’s careless use of rhetoric and negative sound bytes cheapens politics in our town. Bethlehem voters are tired of negative campaigning, and deserve better leadership,` Clarkson said.
McNamara didn’t want to leave Conservatives without a candidate though, so members of that party will have an opportunity to write in a candidate of their choice in the upcoming primary.
Albany County Conservative Party Chairman Richard Stack said it’s a situation he’s never encountered in his years of politics, but he remarked that it makes for an entirely open process.
`I think it will come down to between Kyle and John,` he said. I don’t know of any other people who have come forward through this whole mucky muck.`
There are 385 registered members of the Conservative Party in Bethlehem. While that’s but a sliver of the total number of voters in town, in recent elections voters have migrated to this ballot line in increasing numbers, making it a more valuable prize than voter rolls might suggest.
Clarkson said he would seek to regain the Conservative line through a write-in campaign. Kotary could not be reached to comment on his plans. But the situation could be further complicated by discord in the party itself. Stack and Bethlehem Conservative Party Chairman Ben Conboy have made it clear in recent interviews with The Spotlight they hold divergent views on the supervisor race, with Stack supporting Clarkson and Conboy backing Kotary.
Stack reckoned the doorsteps of Conservative voters in Bethlehem will be getting busy.
`Ben’s a registered member of the Conservative Party, he’ll be using what influence he has and what connections he has,` Stack said.
Conboy could not immediately be reached.
Clarkson and Kotary (both Democrats) are still slated to face off in September in a primary for the Democratic line.
Read next week’s edition of The Spotlight for the latest developments in the supervisor race.“