Third Parties Endorse Saratoga Springs Candidates For City Council and Supervisor

New York State is one of the few states in the country that allows candidates to appear on multiple ballot lines in a practice called “fusion voting” or “cross-endorsements”.  Candidates will often seek multiple party endorsements to attract voters who might not vote for them on say the Republican line but might cast a vote for them on say the Independence Party line. Votes on all the party lines are tallied to determine the winner of a race.

While there has been some talk in Albany about ending fusion voting, so far the NY State Legislature has not included this in their changes to the voting system.

I have not yet been able to obtain the endorsements, if any, made by the Green Party.  The Republican chair, Matt Hogan, tells me it is his understanding that the local Conservative Party has endorsed the four candidates on the Republican slate and no Democrats.  I will report on any additional endorsements as I learn of them.

Here is a list of the candidates endorsed by the Working Families Party and the Independence Party.

The Working Families Party has endorsed:

Meg Kelly for Mayor

Michele Madigan for Commissioner of Finance

John Franck for Commissioner of Accounts

Tara Gaston for Supervisor

 

The Independence Party has endorsed:

Meg Kelly for Mayor

Michele Madigan for Commissioner of Finance

John Franck for Commissioner of Accounts

Robin Dalton for Commissioner of Public Safety

Skip Scirocco for Commissioner of Public Works

Matt Veitch for Supervisor

Steve Mittler for Supervisor

The Saratoga County Chair of the Independence Party, Eddy Miller, expressed enthusiasm for their candidates: “We have endorsed five  excellent incumbents who have been doing a great job for Saratoga Springs and are confident that the newcomers we have endorsed will work well with those currently serving as Saratoga races into a new decade, the 100th year anniversary of the Roaring 20’s!”

Members of all the parties are currently circulating petitions to get endorsed candidates on the ballot. Petitions are due to be filed April 1-4.