When Bill Owens announced he was not going to run for reelection for the 21st Congressional District, he didn't consult anyone about it in the party.

"Just my family," he said Wednesday on a stop in Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga County Democratic Chairman Todd Kerner said he and the other chairs in the district he has spoken to found out the day that Owens announced his retirement from Congress publicly.

"I think there is was a great deal of disappointment that it was so last minute," Kerner said. "Normally an incumbent will be respectful of the process and the party that supported them and will give (the party) more time."

Kerner said he believes they found an "exceptional candidate" in a short time with documentary filmmaker Aaron Woolf, though he thinks Woolf was "behind the 8-ball" in terms of building a campaign machine for his run.

There was a perception in the campaign (perhaps helped by some prodding by the other side) that Woolf got off to a slow start. But then he wasn't endorsed until February 12 — four weeks after Owens announced he wouldn't seek reelection.

"I think by November everyone will know about him and will be impressed," Kerner said.

In terms of Woolf being a political unknown Owens said "That's what they said about me 4-1/2 years ago. I think there is another pleasant surprise (in Woolf)."

As I put in a previous post, the demographics of the district are somewhat lopsided in favor of the conservative candidates, though Kerner said he doesn't believe that is as significant in the 21st District as it is elsewhere.

"I think the voters in the 21st are unique. They are very independent. They don't look at the labels, they look at the person," he said.

Still, it certainly seemed to make a difference before Owens took office. 

Owens said it is too early to decide whether he will make any endorsements for the race.

"There are a lot of people in it," Owens said, and debates in possible three of the parties — Republicans, Democrats and Green Party. "We'll have to see how it shakes out."

"I hope we have some good debate," he said. Owens said he hopes whoever wins the district pays attention to the electorate as a whole, not just their side of the aisle.

"The person needs to be willing to vote with the other side on some things," he said. "I talked about being a moderate and I think my voting record reflects that is what I was."

As for his life after Congress, Owens said he doesn't know what is in store yet.

"I have not reached a conclusion about what I want to do and what I'm going to be wanted to do," he said with a laugh.

Well the announcement announcing an upcoming announcement has been announced. Wonder what Joanne Yepsen has got to say? 

Sources told me more than a month ago it is "just a matter of time" before she declares her run for mayor and that the decision was already set with Yepsen and the Democratic Committee. It seems that time may be at-hand.

 

Saratoga Springs


Supervisor Joanne Yepsen Announces Campaign Intentions For The Coming Year

Ending weeks of rumors, Joanne Yepsen will be joined by friends, family and supporters as she announces her electoral intentions for the coming year on Monday April 8, 2013.

WHO: Saratoga Springs City Supervisor Joanne Yepsen

WHAT: Campaign Announcement

WHEN: 12:00 PM,  Monday April 8, 2013

WHERE: 408 Broadway (Lillian’s Restaurant)

Supervisor Yepsen has focused her time in office on protecting our elderly, balancing urban growth with sustainability, serving our returning veterans and saving local jobs by fighting for the preservation of our world class racing industry.  Joanne remains focused on bringing inclusive, accessible, and open government to Saratoga Springs, just as she has for the past seven years.  She looks forward to the many challenges and opportunities of further strengthening Saratoga Springs in the years to come.

###

Background:  Joanne Yepsen is in her forth term as Saratoga County Supervisor representing the City of Saratoga Springs.  Since her first election in 2005, Joanne has enjoyed broad support across party lines, and has consistently carried the City of Saratoga Springs by comfortable margins.

I was talking to a member of the city's Republican Party recently and he said they don't really have any frontrunner to run against Yepsen at this point (if indeed that is her announcement. It is possible she will toss a curve and say she will be running again for Supervisor or some other office altogether).

Scott Johnson is declining to run for reelection and one of their promising potential candidates, Dave Patterson, is likely not going to run either (why would you if you could be getting a tan, after all). This particular Republican said Patterson was the hopeful opposite to Yepsen, but obviously that is not to be.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Tomorrow the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee meets and Chairman Charles Brown said he expects to be able to announce tomorrow a time and place where Joanne Yepsen will announce... her intentions for the 2013 election.

The presumption is that it will be her announcement that she is running for mayor.

Brown said Yepsen's been meeting with an exploratory committee for some time, "talking through her options."

One of the conversations that I've heard was been going on for some time is whether she could run for mayor and maintain her seat as a city representative to the Board of Supervisors. Most everyone agrees it is legal, but Brown said there is a question as to "whether that would be seen as a power grab."

Highlighting the fact that most supervisors on the legislative BofS also act in an executive capacity in their town governments, Brown called it "the norm" in the county.

Still, what works for towns like Day and Galway, won't necessarily work for Saratoga Springs.

It seems she may no longer be considering that as a viable option, but Brown said "she put seven years into that seat at the county and she wants to make sure that it will be taken by someone who will take up the work she has done."

*Update for clarity* Brown emphasized that the Yepsen is no longer considering running for both offices simultaneously (adding it is not a foregone conclusion that she is running for mayor at all). Any announcement that will be coming from her, likely won't happen until early April. *END of update*

The newest talk around town is that another Democratic member of the City Council may be exploring his/her options in that regard and may run for both positions simultaneously.

"That discussion is ongoing," Brown said Friday.

Here is where I start with speculation:

So John Franck and Christian Mathiesen both have full-time jobs on top of their positions on the City Council.

The only Democrat that leaves is Michele Madigan.

I called her a little while ago and will post her comments when I get them.

*UPDATE: I haven't talked to Madigan, but I received a message from her*

"I've been hearing a lot of rumors about supervisor but my name, as of yet, I had not heard in relation to that rumor. My main concern is running for finance commissioner, not running for supervisor... that wouldn't be my main concern, anyway."

She said endorsements should be coming out in the next month and we'll have to wait and see.

Another source in the Democratic party said the talk was started with Yepsen and has drifted to the other City Council positions, but because it is so early no name has been honed in on as of yet. 

*END OF UPDATE*

Brown said the committee will also be discussing its platform Saturday and may send it out. If they do you can read about it in The Saratogian (I'll post the full press release here).

I also asked him about whether Joanne Yepsen had ever intended to announce her candidacy on March 20, as I had heard. Brown said he couldn't comment on whether that was true or not.

*Another Update*

I'm leaving for the day and I have heard nothing from the Democrats on their platform or their announcement about upcoming announcements. That doesn't mean the committee didn't decide anything this morning, just that they didn't tell me about it. I'll be following up on Monday. 

*Update added Monday* Brown said "we're still doing some fine-tuning" of the platform and they have not released it yet.