County Democrats Hold Slight Cash on Hand Advantage

Schoharie County's Democratic Party is in good shape financially to pose a solid challenge to local Republicans this fall, although it wont do them much good with no publicly declared countywide candidates in the mix yet. 

According to the most recent data available from the New York State Board of Elections, county Democrats maintain a $1,600 on hand cash advantage over their GOP counterparts with eight months until the off-year elections.

However, county Republicans maintain the overall advantage heading into the campaign season. An advantage that is due in no small part to the recent announcements that County Clerk Indica Jaycox and Treasurer Bill Cherry are seeking re-election.

With two countywide offices and all sixteen supervisor seats on the ballot in November, both parties are expected to intensify their fundraising efforts in preparation for the election season to come.

Although not as significant, the true wildcard could be in how much of a role the Schoharie County Conservative Party takes in fielding its own candidates and cross-endorsing potential allies in the major parties.

Running their own candidates for Sheriff and Town Supervisor in 2013, the Conservatives have established a small but potent following among the county's ideologically similar electorate, particularly in the southern portions of the county.

As of publication, there are no publicly declared Democrat or Conservative candidates for county office, and no announced contenders for any of the sixteen open supervisor positions.

Schoharie County Conservative Party Sees 26% Growth Since 2011 Election

The Schoharie County Conservative Party, which has long served as a valuable third-party addition to local and statewide candidates competing in New York's fusion voting system, has not only played a pivotal role in several campaigns the past three off-year election cycles, but has witnessed a dramatic increase in voters within their ranks.

 

Although historically relying on cross-over votes to fuel their third-party line, Schoharie County's branch of the Conservative Party of New York has seen their membership increase 26% in just two years from a little over four hundred party faithful in November 2011 to five hundred and twenty strong just last month.

 

Local Conservatives are primarily clustered in the Towns of Cobleskill (91), Schoharie (55) and Sharon Springs (37), with supporters stretching from sparsely populated Blenheim to politically feisty Gallupville and all the way to sleepy Seward on the opposite end of the county. Their ranks include Town of Wright Supervisor Amber Bleau, suspended county Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington and Cobleskill Stone owner Emil Galasso.

 

According to the New York State Board of Elections, the party remained stagnant in voter registration for years within Schoharie County until November 2011 between April 2012 when over half of their growth occurred. Coincidentally, that was the same period when the party's allies in county government reached their high-water mark.

 

However, Conservatives suffered severe political losses this past November, losing four allies on the Board of Supervisors in addition to watching Todd Ethington's Sheriff campaign self-implode as his wife's role in county corruption was unveiled by the Fitzmaurice Report that also led to their Chairman Bill Hanson's removal from the Public Works Department.

 

Regardless of where they stand now, with only two identifiable allies on the Board of Supervisors, the Schoharie County Conservative Party is a political force to be reckoned with, which is proven by their 26% growth in voter registration since the conclusion of 2011's off-year election and influencing public policy within local government.

Conservative Party Did Not File Campaign Finances, Appears to Violate State Law

The Conservative Party of Schoharie County has played a major role in local politics over the last decade under the tenure of current Chair William Hanson. From 2007 to the present it has staked out an independent tack, endorsing multiple candidates across the County for races from Supervisor to Sheriff to County Clerk.

However, as the third largest party in the County it is required to disclose financial transactions so long as they are above $1,000 total. Since 2007, there has not been a single filing.

There is every reason to believe that the Conservative Party has been involved financially in multiple races across the County. Direct evidence came this year in a mailer attacking County Treasurer Bill Cherry and Supervisors Carl Barbic, Gene Milone, and Phil Skowfoe. On the bottom of the mailer, it stated that it was paid for by the Conservative Party. Considering that 4,000 placards were printed and mailed-- it is inconceivable that the total cost was under $1,000.

When researched, there is no filing for the party at all. Not even a basic statement or a quarterly election summary. Not a mention of the mailer or its cost, as required by law.

State law is clear on the issue. On the NYS Board of Elections website there is no room for error.

Committees are required to file either an itemized campaign financial disclosure report, an In-Lieu-Of Statement (if qualified), or a No-Activity Report, as described, for each filing period: 

Itemized Campaign Financial Disclosure Report 

An itemized campaign financial disclosure report is a report disclosing the financial activity for a specific reporting period, detailed on applicable schedule(s), and where at the close of the reporting period, the aggregate of receipts or expenditures of the campaign have exceeded $1,000.

If there is no political activity or fundraising of over $1,000 the committee can report this instead and there would be no money figure attached. Still, with the creation and distribution of the infamous mailer, this does not seem plausible. Since this is the case, how could election law not be followed by a large party in Schoharie County?

Conservative Party Mailer Blasts Cherry, Supervisors for Report

Just hours after the Board of Supervisors voted to release the damning details of Fitzmaurice's second portion of their controversial report, opponents of Treasurer Bill Cherry and leading supervisors that were behind the report's initiation and subsequent release sent a massive mailer to thousands of residents blasting the aforementioned as being apart of the "good old boys club," urging no votes against Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe, Seward Supervisor Carl Barbic and Schoharie Supervisor Eugene Milone.

The mailer accuses Mr. Cherry and the aforementioned supervisors of attempting to "control patronage in the county by funding a "Report" that targets their political rivals - employees of the county." It goes on to claim that "they released the report 2 weeks before Election Day, hoping it would sink their rivals," concluding in large red print that "their plan backfired."

Although difficult to read in the picture above, it states tellingly that the mailer was "Paid for by the Schoharie County Committee of the Conservative Party of New York State."

Conservative Party's Influence, Links to Ethingtons Questioned

The Conservative Party of Schoharie County is a legitimate competitor in our right-leaning County. The party itself controls over 1,000 registered voters-- counting over 10% of those that voted in the last County-wide race.

The Conservative Party does not simply tag along with the Republican Party. It has struck out on its own, regularly endorsing Democrats and since 2007 running its own candidates. There have been several large cases as of late, and the party's role in this year's races is certainly mixing up the established order.

Take the recent history, for example:

2007- The first large-scale effort of the Conservative Party to upend local politics. Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes lost his bid for the Republican nomination for County Clerk 70-30% against Indica Jaycox. Mr. Hayes was then backed by the Conservative Party. In the race against Mrs. Jaycox and Democratic former Middleburgh Supervisor Richard Shultes, the vote was split 60% Republican, 25% Democratic, and 15% Conservative.

2009- The Conservative Party proved to be the kingmaker in that year's races, giving a needed boost to both Cobleskill Supervisor candidate Thomas Murray and Sheriff Candidate Anthony Desmond. Both were also endorsed by the Democratic Party and ran on their lines-- but it was the Conservative Paty line that put them both over the top. In the race where Murray won by 9 votes and Desmond less than 50, the fusion ticket votes from the Conservative line handed them the victories.

2011- Coming off of the success of the 2009 votes, the Conservative Party backed Mr. Hayes again. This time Mr. Hayes ran on both the Conservative and Democratic tickets-- this time winning 36% to Mrs. Jaycox's 64%.

The largest push seems to be this year. Sheriff Desmond left his caucus with the Democrats and lost not only their nomination but also the Conservatives'. Meanwhile, Jefferson Supervisor Daniel Singletary lost the Republican nomination to Sean Jordan. The Conservative Party then endorsed Mr. Singletary and placed him on their line. In Wright, a registered-Conservative, Amber Bleau successfully gained the nomination for Supervisor. In Esperance, Mayor Steve Miller picked up the Conservative and Democratic lines for Supervisor. Tom Murray still holds the Conservative nod in Cobleskill. Martin Shrederis of Schoharie received both the Republican and Conservative Parties' backing.

The largest case, of course, is that of County Sheriff. Deputy Todd Ethington attempted to receive both the Republican and Conservative Parties' support. Ethington came in a distant third in June's Republican caucus behind newly-minted again-Republican Desmond and Deputy Duane Tillapaugh. The support of Conservative Party Chair William Hanson was vital for Ethington to receive the nomination.

The situation is significantly more complicated when taking all of the nominees into consideration. The Party has thrown it weight behind Todd Ethington. Cassandra Ethington, as Personnel Director, signed off on the hiring of Mr. Hanson and Mr. Hayes for different jobs. Beyond this, most of the nominees that the Conservatives have put up this year are explicit supporters of either Todd Ethington for Sheriff or have been of Cassandra Ethington's tenure as Personnel Director.

The Conservative Party already has a large influence on this year's election and will likely have at least some of its nominees win next week. Its future largely rides on whether these nominees can win a majority of the weighted votes on the County Board.