Editor, The Spotlight;
There was a time, not all that long ago, when Albany County Democrats did pretty much what their party leaders told them to do– whether out of loyalty, respect or fear – folks listened and primaries were a rare event. The days of machine style politics in Albany appear gone.
For evidence of this, consider the Democratic gubernatorial primary last year. The anti-corruption, Democratic challenger Zephra Teachout trounced Governor Cuomo in Albany County by a margin of 60.9% to 35.5 % (3.6% other). In the Town of Bethlehem, Ms. Teachout’s margin was even greater, where she received the support of 73% of Democratic primary voters compared to 27% for Governor Cuomo. Those are huge numbers for an underfunded candidate to receive running against an incumbent governor who enjoyed the endorsement of many Democratic elected officials in Albany County. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, Congressman Paul Tonko, each endorsed Cuomo.
The evident independence of Albany Democrats might be very good news to Dan Egan, who is mounting a primary challenge against Albany County Executive Dan McCoy.
Political party structures tend to prefer discipline over dissent and the safety of a well-financed candidate. The Albany County Democratic Committee is no exception. It comes as little surprise that at meeting of the Albany County Democratic Committee on May 20, 2015 the committee unanimously supported the cash-rich-record-poor incumbent Dan McCoy over a well-qualified and experienced leader in candidate Egan (oddly, neither candidate was permitted to address the assembled committee at this meeting).
As an Albany County Legislator, McCoy voted in favor of the 2011 county legislature lines. Then as County Executive, McCoy played a key role in defending these legislative lines against a lawsuit brought against the County. On March 24, 2015, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Kahn ruled that those district lines violated the 1965 Federal Voting Rights Act, siding with the plaintiffs that a fifth minority legislative district should have been established. That fifth minority district has at long last been established, and recently approved by Judge Kahn.
Unlike party leaders, Albany County Democratic voters may be less likely to forget or forgive McCoy – and perhaps some of his former colleagues in the County Legislature who also voted for those legislative lines back in 2011 – for the ridiculously drawn out and costly process to redraw county voting districts, and for putting county taxpayers on the hook for court fees, outside legal counsel and the re-reimbursement of the plaintiff’s legal expenses for this four-year legal battle the cost of which will likely exceed $2.0 million.
I suspect, no amount of money that McCoy will throw at this race will get enough Democratic voters behind him to win this primary contest (McCoy’s January 2015 Periodic filing with the New York State Board of Elections reflected cash on hand of $228,410.93). This year — in the words of Yogi Berra — it will be deja vu all over again, with Albany Democratic voters asserting their independence and voting for change, vice their party’s choice. Once again, voters have the opportunity to demonstrate that real power rests with them, and not with party insiders and elected officials who are decidedly out of synch with their constituents.
Sean Raliegh
Delmar
Mr. Raleigh is a member of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee. The opinions expressed here are his alone.
