Davis is a rarity in local politics:

from Smugtown Beacon
July 21, 2009

http://www.smugtownbeacon.com/news.php?viewStory=325

MAYOR
As has been reported elsewhere, Mayor Robert Duffy is apparently unopposed. One candidate submitted petitions to challenge Duffy on the Democratic line in September -- Harry Davis -- but Mr. Davis has declined that challenge. Davis is a rarity in local politics: smart enough to know that a challenge to Duffy would win him no friends in the party, but committed enough to his beliefs to not really give a damn. Davis, incidentally, will likely appear on the ballot as a candidate for City Council (along with about half the population of Rochester -- more on that below).

WHAM story:

http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/Duffy-Unopposed-for-Reelection/0z...

Ballot Access: A Challenging Affair
By: Aaron E. Wicks

Posted: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 9:24 pm

Rochester, NY (July 22, 2009) -- A word of advice to novice candidates: try hard for the party's designation and let party workers secure your ballot access. For those taking on the party machine, you are on your own recruiting volunteers and ensuring they know how to correctly collect petition signatures on your designating petitions. Add to the mix that your volunteers might abandon their commitment and the almost-certain challenge to your petitions from the party, and you have plenty of headaches to face.

This was the situation facing a number of local candidates over the past month. Remarkably, several persevered and submitted nominating petitions to the Board of Elections. Once that was done, party officials, other candidates and the occasional political nut (yours truly) ran down to Main Street to grab a fresh set of petition copies to see if the signatures are valid.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of who is challenging whom, a brief rundown of who might appear on the ballot in September -- and the implications these candidates will have for the "real" election in November.

MAYOR
As has been reported elsewhere, Mayor Robert Duffy is apparently unopposed. One candidate submitted petitions to challenge Duffy on the Democratic line in September -- Harry Davis -- but Mr. Davis has declined that challenge. Davis is a rarity in local politics: smart enough to know that a challenge to Duffy would win him no friends in the party, but committed enough to his beliefs to not really give a damn. Davis, incidentally, will likely appear on the ballot as a candidate for City Council (along with about half the population of Rochester -- more on that below).

SHERIFF
Democrats will have a primary for Sheriff if both candidates survive the challenge period. Dan Greene is the party's designee, Ernest Jones the challenger. Sean Hart, the Communications Director at the Monroe County Democratic Committee is listed as the filer of a challenge to Jones' petitions. Democratic leaders are almost certainly annoyed by a primary in this race as Greene appears to be the dream candidate (politically speaking) to challenge incumbent Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn. But voters will ultimately decide who is the better candidate. If Jones survives the challenge to his petitions by the party, the primary will be set.

MONROE COUNTY LEGISLATURE
Before Democrats starting turning on themselves in city races, they were, briefly, salivating at the prospects of taking control of the Monroe County legislature. Currently holding 14 seats out of 29, Democrats need just one more to seize control of the chamber from Republicans.

Fifteen seats are up this fall. Republicans appear to be fielding candidates in eleven of the fifteen, leaving the 21st, 25th, 28th and 29th seats to the Democrats. Democrats are fielding candidates in 14 races -- skipping the 20th district, meaning incumbent Robert Colby will not have a major party challenger in November. Republicans appear to be playing a strategy of focusing their resources on seats they can win: only three of the 11 seats they are contesting are currently held by Democrats. For Republicans, the game is defense: don't lose any seats this year and keep your fingers crossed for better electoral prospects in 2011.

Democrats, of course, are not taking the easy path. Two of the seats have potential primaries -- 21 and 29. Both are currently enmeshed in heated petition contests. More on that later.

ROCHESTER CITY COUNCIL
Hold on to your hats: there are 18 candidates who have submitted petitions to appear on the Democratic line in September. The Board of Elections has assured me that our machines can handle over 30 candidates, so 18 would not be the logistical nightmare it might seem. Of course, if you are candidate #18 on the list, it will be a nightmare indeed, praying that voters are still awake enough when they get to the end of the list of names to pull your lever.

Most of the candidates are already known to the public. They are...

* On the Democratic slate (designated by the party): Dana Miller (incumbent), Matthew Haag, Jacklyn Ortiz, Loretta Scott and Carolee Conklin (incumbent)

* On the insurgent slate assembled by Minister Lawrence Lee Evans: John Lightfoot (incumbent), Frank Martin, III, Anthony Girodano, Harry Davis, Gladys Santiago (incumbent)

* On a SECOND insurgent slate: Sherry Crumity, Norm Roberts, Luvene Ford (who has since declined her nomination), Tom Brennan and Anita Jones

* Also submitting petitions: Staheen Murray and Diane Watkins (both of whom sought the party's designation earlier this spring), and Perry Johnson

First things first: Mr. Murray will not appear on the ballot. He is not an enrolled Democrat and, as such, is only permitted to run on the Democratic line with the permission of the party. Chairman Joe Morelle could have extended this opportunity to Mr. Murray but understandably declined.

ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL BOARD
In any other year, this race would be packed with would-be candidates looking for a foothold from which to establish a political career. Instead, with one City Council member retiring and two others demonstrably weak, the ambitious candidates have focused on the Council race.

Submitting petitions for School Board were:

*On the Democratic designated slate: Cynthia Elliott (incumbent), Van Henri White (incumbent) and Jose Cruz

* Also running: Nancy Sung Shelton, Howard Eagle (both of whom sought the party's designation in the spring), Christopher Edes and Jeane Masten (who has since declined her nomination)

... and from the suburbs, an interesting contest:

IRONDEQUOIT TOWN SUPERVISOR
Incumbent Supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman is finding out that local politics is often complicated by long and deep memories. Her ill-fated effort to relocate a senior center -- an initiative defeated by voters on a ballot issue -- has given rise to a political opponent in September. Robert Ament, one of the leaders of the effort to stop Heyman's senior center plans, has launched a campaign and has submitted petitions to qualify for the September ballot. Ament's website (robertforirondequoit.com) is already up and his challenge of Heyman in the backyard of Assemblyman and MCDC Chair Joe Morelle, is certain to garner the interest of party regulars.

Let the challenges begin!
The above-named candidates have submitted petitions they CLAIM to be sufficient to secure a spot on the Democratic ballot this September. But it isn't quite that easy. You see, that claim can be scrutinized by any citizen with the interest to walk to the Board of Elections and either review them in person, or pay for photocopies to take home. Petitions signatures can be ruled invalid if there is an issue with the witness statement (for example, as in the mid 1980s when Joe Morelle falsely stated, under oath, that he witnessed signatures that he, in fact, did not) or with the signatures themselves (they have to be from registered Democrats who reside in the district in question and they must be that voters earliest signature -- a voter cannot simply sign any and every petition that comes by).

Thus far, every non-slated Democratic candidate appears to have raised a "general objection" from the County Party. What this means is that the party -- specifically Communications Director Sean Hart, Executive Director Adam Bello or political director Lauren Kelly -- believes there may be an issue with the petitions and that they reserve the right to submit their evidence within a few days' time.

The clock begins ticking as soon as that general objection is received. If no evidence is submitted, the objection is removed and the candidate survives the challenge. If evidence is received, it is considered by the Commissioners, who then issue a ruling as to whether the evidence substantiates the claim. This can potentially result in a candidate being declared ineligible when the objections cause them to have too few signatures to qualify for the ballot. This is why wise candidates are not only very careful in how they collect petition signatures, but also expansive in the number they feel necessary to secure. For a citywide office, the requirement is 1,000 signatures. Most candidates only begin to feel comfortable when they have submitted 1,500 or more. You never know.

So, who's challenging whom?

First, the juicy contests.

County Legislative District 29: Saul Maneiro v. Michael Patterson
Sources inform the Beacon that specific objections will be filed in this race which might imperil the candidacy of Mr. Patterson. Details have not yet been confirmed, but the challenge could involve not only the disqualification of the candidate but -- at the extreme end -- legal jeopardy. Details will emerge once the Board of Elections has received the information, assessed its veracity and issued its ruling. According to Commissioner Thomas Ferrarese, rulings generally take a day or two, but are always contingent on the complexity of the situation (and in this case, the number of other pending challenges). The Maneiro challenge materials must be received no later than Wednesday, July 22.

County Legislative District 21: Carrie Andrews v. Jan Bowers
As reported previously, the Democratic Party bungled the effort to keep Andrews on the ballot. Between its errant supplemental filing and potential invalid signatures, the general objection filed against Andrews could imperil her candidacy. Likewise, the party is focusing a similar effort on Bowers, to determine if her signature total can be whittled down to a number below the minimum needed. If this contest involves only the routine question of which signatures should count and which should not, it will likely be settled quickly. Materials challenging Andrews are due by the end of the day Wednesday July 22; the challenge to Bowers must be submitted by close of business Monday, July 27.

Citywide petitions
This is where things get really messy. Try to follow this:

- Jim Bowers is challenging all citywide Democratic petitions (including Mayor, City Council and School Board). His challenge materials must be received by July 22.

- Sean Hart (of MCDC) is challenging the following candidates: Harry Davis for mayor, Staheen Murray for City Council and the "second" insurgent slate of candidates for city council: Crumity, Roberts, Ford, Brennan and Jones. For School Board, Hart is challenging Edes, White and Masten. All of Hart's challenges are due Monday, July 27 (except the challenge of Murray which is due July 23).

- Lauren Kelly (also of MCDC) is challenging the Evans petitions, which include the other insurgent slate of city council candidates (if you can call two incumbents "insurgents"): Lightfoot, Martin, Giordano, Davis and Santiago. Her challenges are due to the BOE by Thursday July 23.

- Not be outdone, Sherry Crumity has also challenged Staheen Murray's petitions. her challenge is due Monday July 27.

- Finally, Adam Bello is challenging the Ament petitions in Irondequoit.

Assuming all of these challenges are resolved on time, candidates will gather at the Board on Tuesday July 28th to draw lots for ballot position in September.

Is this any way to run a democracy? Well, it's one way. Arcane, somewhat arbitrary rules, rules that appear to discourage a grassroots candidate from running. But rules that apply equally to everyone. This week -- and early next week -- we will find out who knows how to play by the rules and who does not.