Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee Delays Endorsement in Mayoral Race

The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee met on Saturday morning to endorse candidates in city races.  They endorsed Commissioners Madigan for Finance  and Franck for Accounts.  They endorsed Peter Martin for Commissioner of Public Safety.  They endorsed Pat Friesen and another person for the supervisor races.   They made no endorsement for the Public Works Commissioner.

Interestingly, they declined to take action on the mayoralty race.  My understanding was that it was a very close vote to delay an endorsement.

Mayor Yepsen released her letter announcing her decision not to run the day before the endorsement meeting.  In her letter she endorsed her deputy Meg Kelly for mayor.   I received confirmation from Charley Brown that Mayor Yepsen did not contact him prior to releasing her letter/announcement to the media.  Apparently, the committee declined to endorse Ms. Kelley on the basis that the process should be an open one in which all interested candidates would be considered.

While I expect that Ms. Kelly will, in all likelihood, receive the endorsement, the Mayor showed a lack of judgment in this affair which did more harm to her deputy than good.   It is to the credit of Mr. Brown and the majority of the committee that they insisted on an open process.

 

 

25 thoughts on “Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee Delays Endorsement in Mayoral Race”

  1. John, you are dead wrong about Charlie Brown not being notified. Also, sometimes timing is not under a persons control, not really fair to always presume the worst. Finally, let’s not forget how Mathiesen kept silent what he was going to do until peter martins press conference saying he was running for public safety, then Charlie Brown said no primaries. No open process there. Let’s keep everyone to the same standard plz.

    Finally, I heard thru the grapevine that several dem com members did not endorse Madigan, and the person wanting to primary her was talked out of it by brown.

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    1. Prior to my post, I emailed Charley Brown asking him whether Mayor Yepsen had contacted him about her decision not to run prior to her release to the media. He emailed me back that she had not. If you would like confirmation I can ask Charley for his permission to publish his email.

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      1. Very interesting, it’s up to you how strongly you feel about getting his lie on the record. Personally I would support it.

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      2. Respectfully, I enter this forum for the first time. I support moving on to what’s important here: embracing good, qualified candidates (not easy to attract in our current form of government); embracing that the mayor’s next 7 months will be focused on issues and results for the programs and initiatives she is committed to moving forward, rather than distracted by time-consuming campaigning.

        That said, I do know first hand that Mayor Yepsen had a conversation with Charley Brown the day before she made public her decision not to run. Rather than spending our time on he said she said, lets move on to what’s important. Lets assume that Charley simply meant that he didn’t receive “much” notice, rather than “any” notice. Lets assume that the truth is actually the truth, not a spin. The mayor did in fact make a final decision about running only in the few days prior to her announcement. It was not made lightly or timed to be manipulative. To the contrary, once her decision was final, she considered her options very thoughtfully and decided that while she could put off the announcement until she had more time to prepare, more time for a press conference, more time to “spin” the message, instead and specifically out of respect for the Democratic Committee’s endorsement meeting and process, she would announce her decision before the meeting, so the committee could choose how to move forward.

        The mayor was so pleased when Deputy Mayor Meg Kelly immediately said she would run. It gives Saratoga Springs a great candidate. And so she was happy to endorse Meg in her announcement, explaining that it made it easier to step away from serving the city knowing that someone who shares many of the same priorities was stepping up to continue to advance them. Take away the political spins and assumptions and it all sounds very human to me.

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      3. Ruth Fein,

        I’m not one for political spin. I’m an issue guy, and believe in people, not parties. Doing the RIGHT thing, not the political one. That said, I’ll be spending the next 7 months making sure Joanne’s ‘vision’ is destroyed on the housing ordinance and the Geyer Rd. Rd, because both are HORRIBLE – and I can not say that strong enough. As for Meg Kelly, I do not know her personally. But if she is for these two items, I will campaign VERY strongly against her as I will for any other candidate that stands for screwing over those who need it most with the SPA EXCLUSIONARY zoning ordinance, or the safety, cost, environmental issues of the Geyer Rd. trail – not to mention the THEFT of land from good, hard working citizens when there is no need to do so. And my guess is she is, because the (rotten) fruit never falls far from the (McTygue) tree.

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    2. That same grapevine says several committee members voted against Frank and several had publicly said they would vote against endorsing Yepsen. So what’s your point? This is just Dems being Dems.

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      1. Since when has the mayor shown good judgement?

        Meh – it’s just Angry Billy McTygue venting again.

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    3. I’m thinking this is one of Yepsen’s “followers” who would defend her no matter how unethical or at the very least inconsiderate her actions. Also, note that this person is passing “rumors” as opposed to facts. Apparently not someone who actually is on the committee or in attendance at the meeting. It seems to me that this was just another one of Yepsen’s attempts to get things done through the back door. Transparency be damned.Wait until the last minute to inform the committee, “endorse her choice to replace her” and then think that the committee would simply rubber stamp it.

      I for one, am glad this committee had the integrity to not fall for it and that most agree the process was important. Let’s fact it, if you talk to many in Saratoga (Dems and Republicans), Yepsen is far from universally seen as honest or effective much less transparent. Just because she thinks her Deputy should run for Mayor has only minimal value.

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  2. I heard the decision not to endorse was unamimous and that the vote not to let Kelly address the committee was very close.

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  3. Kellyanne…..ooops, sorry.
    Meg Kelly Mills (wife of ex city judge Doug Mills) has not been in the political spotlight very long……indeed……a very short, short time. Does anyone truly know her??

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    2. Those that do know her have not had many positive reviews. She is known as being authoritarian and less than a likable personality with focus on those things that meet her own agenda,

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  4. John, Your source wasn’t all that well-informed, since she couldn’t tell you the name of both supervisor candidates. Since complaining about the SSDC platform is a favorite activity of yours, how about sharing the SSDC platform developed under Jane’s leadership so we can compare? Thanks.

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    2. I can only laugh at this ‘announcement’ by the dems in this city. Beyond brutal! Most of the press didn’t even know about it – and you are faulting John??

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  5. Ruth Fein?? A golf teaching pro is your bar set for a good MAYORAL candidate, if I didn’t know any better I’d say, Pat…I mean ruth you’re probably a member of the Mayor’s charter change group.

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  6. Rumor has it Meg Kelly will appoint Jepsen as deputy mayor if she wins the election. Now thats a way to get more money for Yepsen now that the charter reform is not going her way. Public Servant she is not

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    1. Plz stop. These are real people, if you don’t know things for sure you shouldn’t speak about them. The mayor is not coming back as deputy. Plz stop spreading false stories.

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      1. ABM – Pot meet Kettle Those who spread rumors should not criticize others who do the same. Perhaps a good look in the mirror is due for you

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  8. Hi John! Your blog is great reading, and I thought I’d say hi and introduce myself as the other Democratic candidate for supervisor for Saratoga Springs. Feel free to email me if you’d like more information; my website and Facebook page will be up shortly. My Twitter is already up and running, though: @gaston4sup. Thanks, and hope to hear from you!

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  10. Ruth, It is well known that you are both very close friends with Yepsen and her business partner and thus your defense of her seems perhaps self-serving. This is clearly you working to forward her position that has not – in the past – been one of transparency and your attempt to assist in her “spin” is possible more transparent that she has ever been.

    It has yet to be determined by the Dem committee if they think she is an “excellent” candidate. This is simply Yepsen’s opinion – one that is clearly not universally respected.

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