Poll: Readers Approve of Sheriff Desmond's Job Performance

Schoharie News readers, by a margin that closely resembles the November election, approve of Sheriff Anthony Desmond as head of Schoharie County's law enforcement apparatus. Mr. Desmond, who previously served as Town of Sharon Springs Supervisor, was recently sworn into his second term in office.

Do you approve of Sheriff Desmond's job performance?

Yes - (132) - 52%

No - (112) - 44%

Undecided - (8) - 3%

And vote in our new poll on our sidebar!

Blenheim Residents Respond to Cherry's Letter

Three weeks after Schoharie County Treasurer and Flood Recovery Coordinator Bill Cherry wrote a scathing letter to members of the Blenheim Long Term Recovery Committee and the Blenheim Town Board over what he described as, "damning and accusatory statements about me personally [by former Supervisor Robert Mann Jr and BLTRC Chairman Don Airey], and more specifically, about my delay in submitting the latest proposal to FEMA relating to the Blenheim Covered Bridge," citizens of the small municipality had the chance to speak out Monday evening, and did they ever.

 

After Supervisor Shawn Smith read aloud Mr. Cherry's letter to the assembled townsfolk, the overall response was unfriendly to say the least. Town Councilman Joe Ward kicked off a thirty minute discussion on the letter and the Blenheim Covered Bridge by calling the Treasurer's comments, " very vitriolic verbiage." One resident, who referred to the Flood Recovery Coordinator as, "Czar Cherry," accused Mr. Cherry of being, "an arrogant liar," that is the crux at the table.

 

Mr. Airey, who was referred to several times in Mr. Cherry's infamous letter, addressed the audience by listing several grievances and corrections, one being that he had, "no issue with Bill Cherry holding the submission," but that he wanted members of his committee and the town board to be afforded the opportunity to review its contents. He would later go on to condemn Mr. Cherry's selective list of Supervisors he sent the email to and its publication in the Schoharie News, while stating that his concerns stem only from being a resident of the Town of Blenheim.

At this point Mr. Smith, who allowed town residents to openly discuss their concerns and offer comments, spoke of Mr. Cherry's abilities in other flood impacted communities across the county and urged that, "If we can all get on the same page, we can work together." He would go on to describe his early relations with the Treasurer as good, although some residents still felt otherwise about Mr. Cherry's intentions, even suggesting that he recuse himself from further handling the Blenheim project and accusing him of, "thumbing his nose at the county Board of Supervisors."

Supervisors Appoint Public Officials, Set Committees and Discuss Abatements at Organizational Meeting

Incoming Supervisors had their plates full in Friday night's organizational meeting, as they filled a slew of appointed positions, set committees, discussed the possibility of adopting countywide tax abatements and heard a proposal to hold two monthly board meetings among other business.

 

First off, they kicked off this year's legislative session by electing Town of Gilboa Supervisor Tony Van Glad to serve as Chairman of the Board and former Board Chairman Phil Skowfoe as Vice-Chair, cementing the anti-Conservative Party coalition in power and seemingly avoiding the partisan struggle Americans have grown accustomed to in national and local politics between the two major parties.

 

With Chairman Van Glad at the helm, the Board would go on to approve a series of resolutions that would fill a number of appointed positions and designate the county's official newspapers, banks and a host of emergency related task forces. Among those appointed were Sheryl Largeteau as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Bill Cherry as Budget Officer, Phil Skowfoe as the Supervisors representative on the County Board of Health and Michael West as County Attorney.

 

The Mountain Eagle and the Times Journal were named as Schoharie County's official newspapers, for legal notice purposes, while the Bank of Richmondville, Bank of America, NBT Bank, Community Bank, Key Bank, National Bank of Coxsackie and J.P. Morgan Chase were named as depositories for county funds.  

 

Soon after discussion turned toward committee assignments, which Chairman Van Glad put together in a bi-partisan manner that has both Democrat and Republican members of the board as committee chairmen, with Supervisors Barbic of Seward, Buzon of Middleburgh, Bradt of Carlisle, Lape of Richmondville and Skowfoe of Fulton each head of two.

 

However, feeling that Supervisors aren't educated enough in the workings of the standing committees, Town of Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone recommended holding two monthly board meetings, a proposal that was cast aside in favor of better communication between the respective committees and the board as a whole.

 

Mr. Milone would go on to address freshman legislators on the controversial tax abatements passed in the Town of Schoharie in 2013 and added that he hoped the county board would vote on possibly joining Schoharie's efforts later this month at the regular meeting. Town of Middleburgh Supervisor Jim Buzon backed up Mr. Milone's proposal by telling board members that he was looking at presenting the issue to his own town board and that he felt it, "Could draw people into the area."

 

The idea of countywide tax abatements was met with opposition by Town of Carlisle Supervisor Larry Bradt, who felt taxpayers would eventually have to make up the difference in cost, to which Mr. Milone adamantly stood behind his proposal stating, "There is no cost that is shed to anyone else on this," adding later that, "If it doesn't work, nothing changes."

 

Chairman Van Glad ended discussion by telling lawmakers to, "study your work," as Mr. Milone intends to bring the issue to a vote at the regular January meeting, scheduled for the 24th at 9am, to see whether there is a consensus on abatements, which will be followed by a public hearing if there is.

Van Glad Elected Chair of Board of Supervisors, Skowfoe Vice-Chair

Town of Gilboa Supervisor Tony Van Glad was elected by fellow members of the County Board to serve as Chairman for the 2014 legislative session in a split party-line vote early Friday evening. He received 1693 weighted votes to previous Board Chairman and Town of Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe's 1281.

 

Mr. Skowfoe would then be elected Vice-Chairman near unanimously, receiving fifteen of sixteen supervisors support, with only Town of Seward Supervisor Harold Vroman casting a vote for Town of Richmondville Supervisor Richard Lape, resulting in Skowfoe being elected the County's number two by a lopsided 2862-112 margin.

Newly elected Board Chairman Tony Van Glad,
photo courtesy of the Daily Gazette

The vote, which was conducted by call of the roll, mostly followed party-lines with Town of Broome Supervisor Bill Smith, a Republican, being the exception by supporting Democrat Phil Skowfoe, who was elected in 2013 as the head of a bipartisan coalition aligned against the Conservative faction.

 

After a brief intermission to allow Chairman Van Glad and Vice-Chairman Skowfoe to recite the oaths of their newly elected offices, Van Glad thanked a majority of the Board for supporting his candidacy and said that he would, "like to think we could have a bipartisan year," signaling the coalition of Mr. Skowfoe's administration is alive and intact.

 

Board of Supervisors Chairman Election Roll Call

 

Barbic of Seward - Phil Skowfoe

Bleau of Wright - Tony Van Glad

Bradt of Carlisle - Tony VanGlad

Buzon of Middleburgh - Phil Skowfoe

Federice of Conesville - Tony Van Glad

Jordan of Jefferson - Tony Van Glad

Lape of Richmondville - Tony Van Glad

Manko of Sharon - Phil Skowfoe

McAllister of Cobleskill - Tony Van Glad

Milone of Schoharie - Phil Skowfoe

Skowfoe of Fulton - Phil Skowfoe

Smith of Blenheim - Phil Skowfoe

Smith of Broome - Phil Skowfoe

Van Glad of Gilboa - Tony Van Glad

Van Wormer of Esperance - Tony Van Glad

Vroman of Seward - Tony Van Glad

 

 

 

New Supervisors to be Seated in County Board Organizational Meeting

Five new Supervisors* will take their place around the County Board's u shaped table tonight, setting in place a politically diverse and interesting mix of freshman and incumbent legislators for the 2014 session that will begin with the election of a Board Chairman and Vice-Chairman.  

Some freshman lawmakers, including Supervisor Federice of Conesville and Supervisor McAllister of Cobleskill, have already held or were scheduled to hold organizational meetings in their respective Town before tonight's countywide initiation of affairs, while for others this will be their first acts in elected office.

It also ushers in a trio of younger, more politically independent lawmakers that the County Board of Supervisors has not seen in quite some time, they include Supervisor Bleau of Wright (who took her seat in December), Supervisor Jordan of Jefferson and Supervisor Smith of Blenheim, all three of whom have extensive knowledge of local government from previous elected office or public employment.

Knowledge that all sixteen Supervisors will have to use in breaking down their personal political barriers and to form a governing coalition behind one of three leading candidates in this evening's vote.

For many in the room, this will be their twentieth plus time they elect a Chairman of the Board, but with the six newly elected members comprising a third of the overall weighted vote total, 2014's freshman class holds a lot of political power for incoming legislators, and as such, should act with great responsibility.  

* Broome Supervisor Bill Smith included

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.

Poll: Readers Disapprove of Skowfoe's Job Performance

Schoharie News readers, by a large margin, disapprove of incumbent Board Chairman Phil Skowfoe's job performance as head of the embattled Board of Supervisors this past year. Mr. Skowfoe, the Town of Fulton's Supervisor, was elected to the position in January and has overseen the release of the infamous Fitzmaurice Report.

 

Do you approve of County Board Chairman Phil Skowfoe's Job Performance?

 

Yes - (40 votes) - 27%

No - (96 votes) - 64%

Undecided - (12 votes) - 8%

 

This follows an earlier Schoharie News poll that showed Mr. Skowfoe trailing Supervisors Milone of Schoharie, Van Wormer of Esperance, Van Glad of Gilboa and Manko of Sharon Springs for public support to serve as Board Chairman in the new year.

Poll: Yes to a County Executive

Schoharie News readers strongly back the creation of a County Executive in order to remedy some of the issues revolving around recent political strife. With a new County Board looking to fix many of the issues revolving around the abuses of the Conservative Party faction, a new position may be in the works.

Do You Support the Creation of a County Executive?

Yes, a strong one with veto power	67 (45%)
Yes, like a City Manager-type advisor	30 (20%)
No	37 (25%)
Undecided	12 (8%)

These results back Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone's assertion that many of the issues that led to Cassandra Ethington's rise could be solved by restructuring certain parts of County government.

Skowfoe Leading Candidate for Board Chairman, Republicans Divided

 One might think, with November's election resulting in Republicans regaining control of the Board of Supervisors, that incumbent Board Chairman Phil Skowfoe is either facing an uphill battle to retain his position or is politically dead on arrival in the new year. However, you would be greatly mistaken.

After three weeks of making phone calls, e-mails and sitting down with various Supervisors - both returning incumbents and freshman legislators - there seems to be little to no consensus within the newly elected Republican majority, while the Democratic minority is united behind Mr. Skowfoe of Fulton.

According to sources with knowledge of the Board's inner-political workings, three potential candidates have emerged within the Republican ranks as viable contenders in next month's chairman election: Carlisle Town Supervisor Larry Bradt, Gilboa Town Supervisor Tony Van Glad and former Board Chairman Earl Van Wormer of Esperance.

However, none of the three candidates has widespread support through out the party, and two of the three have ruled out running altogether. Further complicating the situation is the private admission of one freshman Republican's support for the current board leadership, raising Mr. Skowfoe's weighted average to the lower to mid forties - well above any potential Republican at this juncture.

There are still several weeks between now and the Board of Supervisors organizational meeting in January - an eternity in politics - and anything could occur during that time to alter the dynamics of emerging alliances and coalitions on the county board, but as of now there is only one candidate with enough support to theoretically carry him across the goal-line.



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?

Weighted Vote Totals in Schoharie County

With the polls finally closed across all sixteen towns that make up Schoharie County, and large changes across the Board, the Schoharie News has put together the town by town county board weighted vote totals so that our readers can not only better understand the significance of certain races over others but can track each board faction's strength.

Cobleskill - 481 (16.2%)

Middleburgh - 352 (11.8%)

Schoharie - 326 (11%)

Richmondville - 241 (8.1%)

Esperance - 204 (6.9%)

Sharon Springs - 184 (6.2%)

Carlisle - 176 (5.9%)

Seward - 164 (5.5%)

Wright -155 (5.2%)

Jefferson - 129 (4.3%)

West Fulton - 127 (4.3%)

Gilboa - 122 (4.1%)

Summit - 112 (3.8%)

Broome - 95 (3.2%)

Conesville - 73 (2.5%)

Blenheim - 33 (1.1%)



Anti-Incumbent Fervor May Prevent Ethington's Firing

Cassandra Ethington will be on the chopping block in next month's hearing, but there could be a severe issue about whether or not she would actually be axed. If the Board of Supervisors receives a stay in the meeting and it is delayed until late December Cassandra Ethington may be untouchable.

The question of how this would even be possible comes to light.

Much of it comes from electoral math. Voters are rightfully angry with the Board of Supervisors, but this anger against the Board as a whole may allow certain Ethington allies to win on Tuesday.

Ethington's closest ally Dan Singletary of Jefferson is almost certainly going to be defeated on Tuesday, but his less than 2% of weighted votes on the Board is almost insignificant during the firing process.

If the largest share of weighted votes represented by Cobleskill can stay in the hands of Ethington ally Thomas Murray, nearly 50% of the Board's votes are in the Conservative Party's backing.

Meanwhile the former Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Harold Vroman of Summit, has no opposition.

The entire balance of the Board of Supervisors would then come down to the third-largest share of votes-- and the balance of the majority. This is the Schoharie race between the first voice for the investigation that brought down Cassandra Ethington, Gene Milone and Conservative Party-backed Martin Shrederis.

If Shrederis, a known associate of the Ethingtons, wins on Tuesday along with Murray, enough votes could keep Cassandra Ethington in her job-- perhaps on extended suspension with pay. Beyond this, there is the possibility that the new majority would open hearings to try and discredit the findings in the Fitzmaurice Report.

Voters want incumbents gone, but it appears that many of the problems in the County are not based on incumbency, but rather candidates' relationships with Todd and Cassandra Ethington.

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.

Across County, Sellers' Legacy Remains

Normally, the legacy of a giant in local politics hangs heavy over an area-- even after their retirement or death. There are still many that fondly remember Arlington van Dyke's tenure as Middleburgh's Mayor and Supervisor, as well as Chair of the Board of Supervisors and Assemblyman. A positive influence of a man or woman involved in local community groups, politics, and business can be a legacy that is tried in earnest to meet.

But this is not always the case.

Take the tenure of Cobleskill Mayor Michael Sellers from 2005-2009. He defeated former Mayor Bill Gilmore and Robert LaPietra. Sellers was elected with under 50% of the vote in the contentious race. Sellers was reportedly surprised as anyone by his victory-- and his governing style showed it. The campaign was heavily dependent on SUNY Cobleskill students re-registering to vote in the local election and was able to secure the victory.

Sellers came into the office with no allies on the Board and no political experience. With no legislative or executive experience, the young mayor was quickly sidelined by a Board eager to pursue different interests. His rival Gilmore carried a 2007 trustee race and appeared set to run for mayor again in 2009 but died early that year.

Mr. Sellers' lack of a firm platform played havoc with his attempted accomplishments. A move that he lauded-- taking out flouride from drinking water-- was overturned by his own administration in 2009. His waffling in regards to the proposed facility at Guilford Mills and Lowe's left Cobleskill's economy rudderless.

Meanwhile Mayor Sellers planted the seeds for future discord in Cobleskill politics. His alliance with then-Trustee Galasso to begin a dissolution study is handicapping the future of the Village. Galasso won in 2009 on the dissolution platform and now that the potential effects are being felt, voters are feeling a bit gunshy. Sellers' reputation of being boxed in was on display when pushing the process forward in 2009. The same was seen in the fact that due to the four year slog of Sellers' administration, the Village of Cobleskill switched to a two-year term system for both the Mayor and Trustees.

The instability continued even after Sellers quietly left office in 2009 without running for re-election. The damage was done as the "law-and-order" candidate Mark Nadeau quickly ruined his career while using the N-word with Supervisor Tom Murray. After a short caretaker administration, Mark Galasso swept into office in 2010 and was re-elected in 2011. Cobleskill has had four different mayors since November 2009 and ten since 1990.

Sellers' legacy is a complicated one but an overwhelmingly negative one. Residents of the County that were willing to take a chance on an inexperienced 21 year old in Cobleskill could be shy to support even an experienced candidate like Shawn Smith of Fultonham, Sean Jordan of Jefferson, or Matthew Avitabile of Middleburgh. This hesitancy is understandable-- but could prevent hangers-on like Dan Singletary or William McCabe from getting the boot after their expiration dates.

Mayor Sellers also muddied the water of Cobleskill's electoral politics-- almost forcing a pendulum shift towards candidates like Nadeau and Galasso. Ultimately, if Sellers' dissolution study forces the end of the Village he would have another notch in his resume. Still, for most Cobleskill residents it is a record that they wish he did not have at all.

County Democratic Party Sees Rapid Ascent Halted

The Democratic Party of Schoharie County seemed to be relegated to minority status forever. It faced large losses in enrolled voters and elected officials in the mid-2000s. Through a shift in electoral strategy it saw a large boom several years ago culminating in several major victories. Now, the party appears to be headed the other way.

Looking at the United States in 2008, you see a broad revival of the Democratic Party nationally. While the party saw gains in this County the GOP still controlled the County Board and all elected officials. A more aggressive strategy would be necessary to change fortunes.

The Democrats received some assistance from an overlap with the Conservative Party. Some Democratic-leaning voters and officials were willing to vote along New York State's multiple-party balloting-- allowing a candidate to run under several different parties at once.

The Democrats made a major push in 2009. They convinced Sharon Supervisor Tony Desmond to shed the Republican Party and re-register as an independent. Desmond was then nominated by the Democrats and the Conservative Party. His dual lines gave him the advantage over Bill Slater-- and gave him his narrow victory.

The effort was tried again in 2011. The Democratic Party nominated another Republican-turned-independent for a County office but this time with disastrous effects. Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes gained the Democratic line for County Clerk only to lose to Indy Jaycox 64-36%.

However, on the County Board level, 2011 was a watershed year. The Supervisors of Sharon, Middleburgh, and Schoharie all went to the Democrats-- giving them (on paper) the first majority in the chamber since the 1990s. However, legislative infighting has complicated the situation and has resulted in a fractured Board. Whether the Democrats can regain the majority after this year's election is not clear.

However, part of the Democrats' gambit is failing. The party looked for candidates for District Attorney and failed. Sheriff Tony Desmond withdrew his support of the Democratic Party and re-registered as a Republican and was nominated by that party over the summer. The de facto Democratic-Conservative alliance is largely dead, with former Desmond supporter Todd Ethington gaining the Conservative line for Sheriff.

The Democrats certainly have a chance this fall but much of their success of 2009-2011 has faded.

NY-19 Race Featured in National Media

The race for the Congressional District NY-19 may still be over a year away, but it has already heated up. Incumbent Chris Gibson (R) has been challenged by the husband of a co-creator of Facebook, Sean Eldridge.

Now the story has reached RealClearPolitics, after Eldridge was profiled by the New York Times several months ago.

Left-- Gibson (R), Right-- Eldridge (D)

Eldridge and his husband are multi-millionaires and have recently purchased a $5 million mansion in the Hudson Valley. He has built up his resume over the last several years, with his run for Congress an open secret:

And as a senior adviser and spokesperson for Freedom to Marry -- a group that led the successful fight to legalize same-sex marriage in New York -- Eldridge cut his teeth in the grassroots style of campaigning needed to succeed in the largely rural district, while earning media experience as a public face of the group.

This does not impress the Gibson camp, which slammed the 27-year old.

“If you look at this race, it’s really going to test the hypothesis of whether or not a congressional seat can be bought,” Gibson spokesperson Stephanie Valle said of Eldridge. “We certainly don’t have the expectation that we’re going to be able to match the millions of dollars that Mr. Eldridge will be able to put in the race, but we’re confident we’ll have the funds necessary to win.”

Gibson, a colonel and graduate of West Point is a veteran of the Gulf War, Kosovo, and the Afghanistan conflicts.

Schoharie Democrats Set Picnic for 22nd

The Schoharie County Democratic Party has set its fall picnic for later this month. Formally known as the Fall Garden Party, the event will take place at 337 Barneville Road in Cobleskill. All are invited and tickets are $10 for adults, with children getting in for free.

Cobleskill Tops Interesting Slate of Supervisor Races

Although the Schoharie News has primarily been focused on the sheriff's race since our launch earlier this week, we also have to take into account the other pivotal elections set to take place this fall - such as the Supervisor contests in Cobleskill, Jefferson, Schoharie and Wright - all of which are contested and will have a significant impact on county government policy.

Take the Cobleskill race for example: incumbent Democrat Tom Murray versus Republican nominee Leo McAllister. Although both candidates are close politically (Murray caucuses with Republicans and so will McAllister) and their differences are primarily in the way they will govern, this election will have a profound effect on the county board/political arena for two reasons.

One because the Republican Party has fielded two consecutive strong candidates for the seat and fell twice by small margins (falling short by ten votes in 2009 and 150 in 2011) and another strong candidate failing to prevail in the county's largest town would start to raise questions about the party's effectiveness, which brings us to the second reason-- Cobleskill holds the most power on the county board due to the weighted vote system, meaning the town's Supervisor can instantly hold the balance on almost any issue brought up to a vote and the man who holds that position essentially plays political kingmaker during his term in office.

But Cobleskill isn't the only race worth watching. The rematch between former Supervisor Martin Shrederis and current Supervisor Gene Milone in Schoharie will be an interesting contest, as will the race to fill the Town of Wright's top spot after William Goblet's unfortunate passing earlier this year and let us not forget the Jefferson race between Bill Cherry's hand picked candidate Sean Jordan and incumbent Dan Singletary who lost the Republican caucus last month because of the County Treasurer's activism, but will continue to fight on the Conservative and Independent lines. 

I hope everyone brought some popcorn, because Schoharie County's political theater is just getting started.

GOP Picnic on 21st

The County Republican Party has a lot on its plate this election season. Come next Saturday, count some BBQ on it as well. The County GOP is inviting its members to its annual picnic at Minekill State Park on September 21st. The $20 event will include appearances from Sheriff Desmond and many of the candidates from across the County.