COLONIE — There are three Town Board seats up for grabs this November and the election could swing the balance of power Democrats have enjoyed since 2007.
Last week, Republicans announced their slate of candidates — Antonio Boncordo, Jeffrey Madden and Alexandra Velella.
The Democrats are backing two incumbents — David Green and Melissa Jeffers — and newcomer Alvin Gamble. Democrat Linda Murphy opted to not seek another term.
But, Green is now interested in the seat on Town Court bench being vacated by Peter Crummey, who is running for supervisor. The Demorats can still circulate petitions for Green but he would have to resign his seat on the Town Board to run for judge. The party has until the end of the month to fill the vacancy on its slate of candidates with Green now runnng for judge.
Topping the ticket at supervisor to replace the retiring Paula Mahan is Republican Peter Crummey and Democrat Kelly Mateja.
“We are very excited to have these candidates represent the Republican Party, they all have the experience and enthusiasm that make them uniquely qualified for these elected positions,” said Colonie Republican Chairman Tony DiPiazza. “All of these candidates have lived here for years and know the needs of our community intimately. I look forward to seeing them in office, where I know they will represent the Town of Colonie with honor.”
Four of the six candidates, all three Republicans and Gamble, have never run for public office.
Boncordo has run Boncordo Family Dentistry on Albany Shaker Road since the 1990s.
“As a Town Board member I look forward to working on important issues that face our community, community planning being on the top of that list,” he said. “We need to make sure that our roads, public transportation and parks are safe and accessible.”
Jeffrey Madden used to run the All Sports Café and Madden’s in Colonie and then opened a restaurant Beach Bites in Saratoga, Florida.
“As a former small business owner myself, I will look to help make Colonie a more business friendly environment. In this time of COVID, it is important now, more than ever, to make sure we are supporting our small businesses,” he said.
Alexandra Velella is a private sector attorney.
“I hope to bring my private sector experience to the town and help ensure that the needs of our town are met,” she said. “I also believe it is important to have citizen engagement, I will push to increase public input within our community.”
Town Board candidates in Colonie run at large, or town wide. The six with the highest number of votes are elected to a four-year term. The position pays $21,479 per year.
When Supervisor Paula Mahan defeated longtime incumbent Republican Mary Brizzell in 2007 the party took the Town Board too and has controlled the town since. And, since 2007, the Republicans have tried to regain power in what was for decades the last bastion of Republican strength in a Democrat-dominated Albany County.
Green was elected in 2013 as a Republican but after his re-election four years later he changed his enrollment to Democrat. Jeffers is seeking her second four-year term.
Murphy was first elected in 2009 and served as deputy supervisor on the Town Board for the last four years. She opted to not run for fourth term. There are two incumbent Republicans, Rick Field and Danielle Futiua, and one Democrat, Jill Penn, who are in their second year of a four-year term.
The Working Families Party endorsed enrolled Democrats Jessica Mahar, Tim Nicols and Graham Knowles for Town Board. Mahar is active in town happenings and served on the Comprehensive Plan Committee, Nichols was on the county Legislature representing Colonie and Knowles is an associate director/lecturer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The three Republicans are expected to also run on the Conservative Party line.
