Former Bethlehem Town Supervisor Jack Cunningham has formally announced his candidacy for a Town Board seat in the coming November election, but a primary is already fast brewing.
Cunningham announced his candidacy at an event on Thursday, May 31, at Normanside Country Club. Hoping to win the seat that will soon be vacated by Town Board appointee George Lenhart at the end of the year, Cunningham has the designation of both the town Democratic and Independence Parties.
“I can tell you … the reason I’m running is to focus on some of the major issues facing the town,” said Cunningham. “We’re heading into a financial budget issue and we’re going to have to start taking aggressive steps to address that and still maintain the core mission of the town.”
Cunningham was supervisor from 2007 to 2009, but lost a re-election bid to former Supervisor Sam Messina. In January, he had hoped to be appointed to the Town Board seat vacated by Mark Jordan, but stepped aside towards the end of the process after Supervisor John Clarkson pushed for an appointee who would serve for only one year.
“I thought I should be appointed because I planned to run in the coming election, for continuity. Switching out (board members) doesn’t serve the best interests of the community,” Cunningham said of that decision. “But it became a political hot potato. I knew I planned to run, so I was fine with pulling back to focus on November’s election.”
Bill Reinhardt, a member of the Bethlehem Reform Democrats group who was also interest in being appointed to the board earlier in the year, plans to challenge Cunningham in a primary for the seat. He currently has the endorsement of the town’s Working Families Party. Reinhardt said he became interested in politics after serving on several of the town’s citizen advisory committees.
“I feel I will be part of a team that will be moving the town forward and I want to be part of that team. Both the Reform Democrats and John (Clarkson) have a vision for where they want the town to go and I buy into that objective,” Reinhardt said.
Reinhardt is a graduate of Cornell, Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania. He worked for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for 26 years helping develop renewable energy technologies before retiring in 2010.
Cunningham has 32 years of finance, operations and IT experience through his work in the private sector and his time as town supervisor and on the Albany County Legislature. He is currently the public works commissioner for the Town of Colonie. His appointment there spurred considerable debate about the residency requirements of town officials.
Bethlehem Democratic Committee Chairman Matt Clyne said he doesn’t understand why residents were upset over his appointment to the position in a different town.
“Most residents work outside Bethlehem,” he said. “Right now I’m sitting in the City of Albany; I have almost all of my career. … I don’t know how that would impact his campaign or disqualify him from the election. Most people wouldn’t be able to run for Town Board if that was the case and I feel the experience he has gotten there will be an asset to us.”
Clyne said Cunningham has had to deal with complex issues in Colonie, like the new landfill contract.
“He has the full support of the Democratic Committee and his candidacy was well received by its members,” Clyne said. “We also feel he is genuinely interested in his work and loves this town. He has a strong commitment and its reflected in his activities and behavior.”
Candidates began walking petitions on Tuesday, June 5. They are due between July 9 and 12, with the primary to be help September 13. The winner is likely to face Republican Jeremy Martell in November’s general election to win the remaining year of the Town Board seat term.
