It is not a surprise that Democrats on the Chautauqua County Legislature were defeated in court over their pick to be the next Democratic Election Commissioner.
May 13, 2021
It is not a surprise that Democrats on the Chautauqua County Legislature were defeated in court over their pick to be the next Democratic Election Commissioner.
We foresaw this outcome more than a month ago. The text of state law is clear, as state Supreme Court Justice Lynn Keane wrote in his decision in the case.
There are some who will take Keane’s decision to mean that Luz Torres should be immediately approved as the next election commissioner. But, that isn’t exactly what Keane wrote in his decision.
Keane said there is no burden on the county Democratic Committee to submit repeated certificates for review and approval by the County Legislature. Nothing in the law says the consent process ends after two candidates have been submitted and denied, so legislative Democrats can decide at their next meeting to approve either Torres or Doris Parment to be the next Democratic Election Commissioner or not select either of the candidates. Then the county committee
Loren Kent
Loren Kent will not be able to serve as the next Democratic Elections Commissioner for the Chautauqua County Board of Elections, unless he gets the backing of county Democrats and not just the Democratic county legislators.
The Hon. Lynn W. Keane ruled that the Chautauqua County Legislature must appoint someone whom the county Democratic Committee recommends.
In March, the county Legislature appointed Kent to the position to fill the vacancy with the retirement of Norm Green. Last year the county Democratic Committee, in a narrow vote, recommended Luz Torres.
Torres, who at the time was the Deputy Democratic Election Commissioner, was selected over Kent, who was the secretary of the county Democratic Party. Green has since stepped down from the position and announced his intention to run for county executive and Torres has been serving as the acting Democratic Election Commissioner.
Loren Kent
Loren Kent will not be able to serve as the next Democratic Elections Commissioner for the Chautauqua County Board of Elections, unless he gets the backing of county Democrats and not just the Democratic county legislators.
The Hon. Lynn W. Keane has ruled that the Chautauqua County Legislature must appoint someone whom the county Democratic Committee recommends.
In March, the county legislature appointed Kent to the position, to fill the vacancy with the retirement of Norman P. Green. Last year the county Democratic Committee, in a narrow vote, recommended Luz Torres. Torres, who at the time was the Deputy Democratic Election Commissioner, was selected over Kent, who was the secretary of the county Democratic Party. Green has since stepped down from the position and announced his intention to run for county executive and Torres has been serving as the acting Democratic Election Commissioner.
Loren Kent
Loren Kent will not be able to serve as the next Democratic Elections Commissioner for the Chautauqua County Board of Elections, unless he gets the backing of county Democrats and not just the Democratic county legislators.
The Hon. Lynn W. Keane ruled that the Chautauqua County Legislature must appoint someone whom the county Democratic Committee recommends.
In March, the county Legislature appointed Kent to the position to fill the vacancy with the retirement of Norm Green. Last year the county Democratic Committee, in a narrow vote, recommended Luz Torres.
Torres, who at the time was the Deputy Democratic Election Commissioner, was selected over Kent, who was the secretary of the county Democratic Party. Green has since stepped down from the position and announced his intention to run for county executive and Torres has been serving as the acting Democratic Election Commissioner.