At the Bethlehem Democratic Committee meeting on Sept 14, I endorsed Jared King for the position of First Vice-Chair of the committee. Immediately, without allowing a second or a vote on the nomination, BDC Chairman Kuhn stated that Mr. King was ineligible to be an officer of the committee because he was not yet a member of the committee, as reported in the September 20, 2017 edition of The Spotlight. Mr. King was not afforded the opportunity to address the committee.
In the Bethlehem Democratic Committee By-Laws, revised Feb. 24, 2015, there is no requirement to be a committee member and no prohibition against non-committee members to be an officer of the committee. In fact, the By-Laws do not require committee members to be enrolled Democrats and do not even require members to reside in Bethlehem.
The Rules of the Albany County Democratic Committee, as amended on April 26, 2006 (and as effective Sept. 25, 2008), specifically state, “All duly enrolled Democrats in Albany County shall be eligible for election to any office of the County Committee and none of the officers of the County Committee need be members of the Committee.”
If Chairman Kuhn wishes to exclude all Democrats from participating in the Bethlehem Democratic Committee, he should have the By-Laws revised to say so.
George T. Harder,
Bethlehem Democratic Committee Member
Democratic Party Candidate/
Endorsed Independence Party Candidate for Town Council