In Schenectady, GOP has one candidate for City Council, hopes for more
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Republican candidate Kevin Hammer has formally launched a bid for City Council.
The political newcomer was endorsed by the county Republican committee last week. I looked around where we are living and saw every reason to get involved,” said Hammer, who lives downtown with his husband.
Hammer, who relocated from Scotia in 2012, is the first in what party officials expect to be a growing field of GOP candidates in coming days, said county Republican committee Chairman Chris Koetzle.
“It looks like our slate is growing in Schenectady, and we will have more candidates to announce shortly,” Koetzle said, citing three additional hopefuls who are weighing bids.
Schenectady Democrats endorse Williams and Samuel for council seats | The Daily Gazette
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SCHENECTADY The city Democrats’ executive committee has endorsed Carl Williams and Haileab Samuel from among seven candidates for the two vacant seats on the Schenectady City Council.
The committee, which met and interviewed candidates Saturday morning, also endorsed incumbent City Council members John Mootooveren, Marion Porterfield and Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas for new four-year terms in November.
Both Williams and Samuel are Black, as is Porterfield. City Democratic Chairman Tom Bellick said he was pleased the Democrats will be putting forward such a diverse group of candidates this year.
McGill launches bid for second shot at Schenectady County legislator seat
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Omar Sterling McGill announced his candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature District 1 on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.Provided photoShow MoreShow Less
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Former Schenectady City Council President Margaret Peggy King endorses Gary McCarthy s bid for a third-consecutive term as the city s mayor. King represents District 1 in the Schenectady County Legislature. She won the seat in 2019 but has not said if she ll seek reelection.Paul Nelson / Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
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SCHENECTADY For the second time in two election cycles, an insurgent candidate is running for Schenectady County Legislature in the hope of winning a seat long held by establishment Democrats.
Foss: Exciting Schenectady City Council race taking shape | The Daily Gazette
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I’m always hoping for interesting and competitive local elections, and I almost never get them.
Most contests are lopsided and listless affairs that pit strong, heavily-favored candidates against long-shots and dark horses.
The result is low voter turnout and diminished citizen engagement, as people survey the local political landscape and conclude that voting doesn’t matter. It’s a trend we’ve seen play out in the city of Schenectady, where general election turnout is often quite low.
There’s no excuse for low turnout this fall.
Two more hopefuls join growing field for Schenectady City Council seats
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SCHENECTADY Two more hopefuls have entered the expanding field for City Council seats.
Thearse McCalmon and William Rivas, both Democrats, jointly announced their candidacies Friday. Each have established bonafides in city politics, and said in a statement their “independent approach would provide fresh ideas and solutions to issues within the city.”
Rivas, a longtime community activist, played a leading role in the Black Lives Matter movement last summer, and sits on the steering committee guiding the city’s state-mandated police reform efforts.
He was instrumental in creating a panel of community members to interview recruits to the city police department, a measure given a nod by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in one of his State of State addresses last week. Rivas is executive director of the C.O.C.O.A House and a program director for the Altamont Program.