Field of 9 Democrats seeking House seat faces July 10 date
Times-Union
June 5, 2008
By Lauren Stanforth
Candidates can now collect signatures to run on party lines for this year's primary ballot -- and no where is the hunt more frenetic locally than among the nine Democrats running for Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael McNulty's 21st Congressional District seat.
The candidates for the House seat have until July 10 to collect 1,250 signatures from enrolled Democrats living in the district that includes all of part of seven counties.
University at Albany political science professor Bruce Miroff said it will be interesting to see how residents will respond to requests for their signatures, considering the number of candidates and that it's relatively early in the race.
"The attention has been focused on Obama and Clinton," Miroff said. "I would be surprised if very many people know about these congressional aspirants."
For candidates endorsed by a county Democratic committee, gathering signatures is much easier. More than 600 Democratic committee members in Albany this year must get signatures themselves to serve another two years on the committee. As committee members get their own signatures, they push other petitions for candidates the committee endorsed. In Albany, 21st Congressional District candidate and Albany County Legislator Phil Steck received the most votes.
But many committee members also are carrying petitions for other candidates such as Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar and Paul Tonko, said David Bosworth, co-chairman of the Albany County Democratic Committee.
Democratic candidate and executive director of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York Craig Burridge said he also has a few Albany County Democratic committee members carrying his petitions, but that he's had to rely most on family, friends and colleagues to canvas neighborhoods.
Candidates typically get lists of enrolled party members in the district from the county boards of elections so they can do targeted door-to-door soliciting.
"You have to do it every night, every weekend up until the time you hand in petitions," Burridge said.
City of Albany Equal Employment Opportunity coordinator and candidate Lester Freeman is taking a different route, only seeking signatures at large events.
Democrat and real estate agent Arthur Welser said he's going to rely on his real estate broker colleagues to fill his petition list. Candidate and attorney John Aretakis said he will also be actively petitioning. Democrat Joseph Sullivan, former Albany City GOP chairman, just recently announced his candidacy for the seat.
Two Republicans are also running. The primary is Sept. 9.
