The battle lines in Albany County got drawn a bit deeper.
Board of Elections Commissioner Matt Clyne, in what can only be seen as poke in County Executive Dan McCoy’s eye, hired Councilman Judd Krasher to replace the newly elected county Chair Jack Flynn. Flynn, a McCoy relation by marriage, ousted former chair Carolyn McLaughlin, the Council president, as chairman a couple weeks ago.
And, the county executive saw the guy he wanted to head up his department of Economic Development, Conservation and Planning, Matthew Cannon, withdraw his name for consideration before it was shot down by the Legislature.
As you know, the night Flynn got elected chair, there was a motion to table the recommendation to re-appoint Clyne to another two-year term. The motion failed, and the next day Clyne fired Flynn.
Krasher sided with Clyne rather than Flynn, but so did the majority of the committee, so the animosity runs deeper than the ill-advised attempt to take out the BOE commissioner.
Krasher was Dan Egan’s campaign manager when he challenged McCoy in 2015. And he has criticized Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan for everything from her budgeting practices, to management of youth programs, to red light cameras to the so called trash tax. Safe to say, Krasher is not a Sheehan fan and is not afraid to speak about it publicly.
He is also supporting Frank Commisso Jr. to run a primary against Sheehan. Although the 15th Ward councilman has not yet formally announced his plans for next year, he is aggressively raising funds for a city wide run.
McCoy is backing Sheehan.
You all know Frank Commisso Sr. – junior’s dad – has been on the Legislature since 1983 and has been majority leader since 1993. In other words, he has some juice. If I were a bit more cynical, I’d say the most unusual move to nix an executive appointment is a not so subtle way of telling McCoy to stay out of the mayor’s race.
The Legislature pointed to Cannon’s lack of experience and
qualifications for the job while gearing up to shoot him down, but they were just convenient excuses. Since when did all that matter when it comes to a political appointment.
Historically, the executive gets to name whoever he wants and then the Legislature rubber stamps it. It’s been that way forever. Unless of course, the son of one of its most powerful members wants to run for mayor.
I wrote last week McCoy, by taking out McLaughlin and throwing his early support behind Sheehan, is looking to be King of the County, the next Dan O’Connell.
I stand by that assessment, but I will add he is in for a fight.
Bitter inter-party battles, often require a score card, but that score card is a long way from final as a bunch of people are still deciding which team to play for leading up to next year when there is expected to be a slew of primaries.
