Why does the leadership of the local Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee fear One Saratoga?
Democrats enjoy a wide registration lead over Republicans in Saratoga Springs. As of March, there were approximately 8600 (40.5%) registered Democrats and 6800 Republicans (28.5%) in the city. Democratic candidates should be pretty much guaranteed victory with those kinds of registration numbers. Yet the Democrats lost all the contested City races in 2023, primarily because a group called One Saratoga had candidates in those races.
This year, One Saratoga gathered over 1,000 signatures to put a full slate of candidates on the November ballot for city offices. The city’s Democratic leadership appears to be worried.
The strategy the local Democrats seem to be following is not to criticize the credentials or records of the One Saratoga candidates or to engage in a discussion of local issues. Rather, their strategy is to try to nationalize the city’s elections. By playing on local Democrats’ fears about Donald Trump’s presidency, they hope to encourage local Democrats to vote for the Democratic Committee’s endorsed candidates regardless of the quality of those candidates.
To carry out their campaign strategy, the SSDC chair, Otis Maxwell, enlisted Gordon Boyd and Hank Kuczynski to craft a targeted mailing to all Democratic and “No Party” registered voters who had signed the One Saratoga petition that secured a spot on the November ballot. Maxwell’s hope was to convince petition signers falsely that One Saratoga had been “co-opted by Elise Stefanik and local MAGA influencers” (whoever they are). This, despite the fact that two Democratic-endorsed candidates appear also on the One Saratoga line and another One Saratoga candidate is a registered Democrat.
This excerpt from the Democratic letter is representative both in tone and substance. The full letter can be found on the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee website:
There is a good reason Elise Stefanik and local MAGA Republicans are co-opting One Saratoga. Many voters are outraged by the actions of the current administration in Washington and local Republicans echo their MAGA tactics through lawsuits, bullying and personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with them. One Saratoga is simply a way to vote for Republican candidates without actually voting for them on the Republican line. Don’t be fooled. Please vote Democratic Row A when you go to the polls this November, or when you vote early or by absentee.
One Saratoga’s Response
One Saratoga Chair, Courtney DeLeonardis issued the following reply:
“Saratoga Springs Democratic Chair Otis Maxwell recently sent a letter to all the Democrats and No Party registrants who signed the One Saratoga petition last spring to get their endorsed candidates on the ballot for the November city election. The letter was crafted by Gordon Boyd and Hank Kuczynski. The letter used the one piece of accurate information, that Elise Stefanik had sent a contribution to one of the endorsed candidates, to assert that One Saratoga had been taken over by some Maga faction of the local Republican Party.
Both Boyd and Kuczynski know that One Saratoga Chair Courtney DeLeonardis is a lifelong Democrat who chaired the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. They also know that almost all the members of One Saratoga are Democrats and were Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee members. This includes former Democratic Executive Committee member Jay Partridge and former Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen, as well as former Democratic Deputy Mayor Joe Ogden. Jane Weihe, another member, chaired the Democratic city committee for over a decade, chaired the Saratoga County Democratic Committee, was a member of the New York State Democratic Committee, a delegate to a Democratic Presidential Nominating Convention, and twice a Democratic candidate for city office. To claim that these individuals are now pawns of the Republican Party is absurd.
The extreme example of disinformation represented by Maxwell’s letter is emblematic as to why One Saratoga was established. The members of One Saratoga seek to offer the citizens of Saratoga a balanced ticket and an alternative to the toxic environment that has infected both national and local politics. One Saratoga focuses entirely on city politics. We believe that whatever people’s differences are on the national issues that so bitterly divide our country, people of good will from all political persuasions can come together around how to better govern our city. One Saratoga believes deeply that the way a party campaigns will define the way it will govern. Saratoga Springs is a gem. It is our hope that the voters will share our vision and will provide our candidates the privilege of serving in the next elected Council.”
Saratoga Springs Politics 
The leadership of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee fears One Saratoga because One Saratoga represents a threat to the Democratic Committee’s further consolidation of political power. Their solution is to destroy One Saratoga.
We know what happens when one major political party dominates. For decades, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee ran our City. You could not get a position with the SSPD or the SSFD unless you were an enrolled Republican. Your chances of getting a good summer job for your kids or a teaching position with our school system were limited without that ‘R’ after your name.
I moved back to Saratoga Springs in 1977 after completing dental school. The local Republican committeeman came to our house to tell me that my wife and I should register as Republicans. When I told him that I had always been a Democrat, he said that he didn’t care how I voted, especially in state and national elections, but that in many ways I would be better off if I registered with his party. Having grown up in this City, I understood well his inference. However, I chose not to change my party affiliation despite the feeling of vulnerability and powerlessness associated with being a Democrat in a City dominated by Republicans.
The roles have changed. The Democratic Party now controls our City and feels it necessary to destroy an independent local party that puts local issues above political labels.
Chris Mathiesen
LikeLike
You writing “whoever they are” to “local MAGA influencers” is easily the most disingenuous thing you’ve written in a long time, if ever. Happy to elucidate.
LikeLike
[Susan Lynn Troy was unable to post a comment so I am putting it up under my account]
So let’s start with the obvious: Chuck Marshall’s campaign shouldn’t have taken that thousand bucks from Elise Stefanik. I thought it was a mistake when I read about it, and I still think it
was a mistake. Because I knew this would be the consequence. This attempt to link, to yoke, Chuck Marshall to Elise Stefanik, and to Trump.
As annoyed as I am, I have to remind myself that Chuck’s focus is on public service, and not about the political ramifications – short or long term – of taking a campaign contribution from someone in his party, who many people find toxic.
(Stefanik is trailing Kathy Hochul by twenty-five points. (https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/09/hochuls-lead-over-stefanik-grows-25-points-new-poll/408130/))
But back to Chuck. If he thought more like a politician, he would have had his people call her people, and said, “Hey, thanks so much for the Congresswoman’s contribution, but could you all just hang onto it until October, that way it doesn’t show up on Chuck’s campaign finance filings until after Election Day?”
That would have been the business-as-usual, non-transparent, sleazy thing to do. Happens all the time. But that’s not what happened here. Some campaign people, hard core political operatives, would have been jumping up and down, screaming that’s what should have been done. Because then, Chuck Marshall could have had his (political) cake and eaten it too. But again, that’s not what he did.
I figured this was going to be the “October surprise” – maybe you all miscalculated the US Postal Service’s turn around time – and it hit earlier than expected.
Voters and taxpayers and residents and observers should understand what an “October surprise” is. Both parties do it. It’s when a candidate, or a party in this case, makes a wild accusation against an opponent in the form of a mailing, at a hastily-called press conference, or via a social media post, just before Election Day. So close to Election Day that the target doesn’t have adequate time to “clear their name”. It’s a part of every election and it happens right around Halloween. (Now you all know to expect it and look for it.) In this case, it’s not an accusation; I’ll give you that. But it is an implication that Chuck Marshall is tied to Elise Stefanik and her – let’s call it what it is – subserviant genuflecting to Trump.
Should Chuck’s campaign have returned the check? Well, yeah. Elise Stefanik is a big girl. She knows how this stuff works. She wouldn’t have had to take to the fainting couch had Chuck returned the check.
But at the end of the day, Chuck Marshall is no MAGA guy. Period, full stop. In my opinion, one of the other Democratic members of the Council needs to step out and embrace his inner MAGA. That’swhere the party’s focus should be.For clarification, I’m not on Chuck Marshall’s campaign team. Because believe you me, were I, I would have been jumping up and down screamingto not take that contribution.
But I do have Chuck’s back. I’ve known him for more than a decade. And there isn’t a more decent, more respectful, kinder person than Chuck Marshall. A competent, hard working, ethical guy with a heart for public service. So I’m here for this debate.
Lastly, I know Chuck’s campaign will hate this post, but every single word is accurate, and I stand by it.
Susan
LikeLike
[Nancy Goldberg was unable to put up a comment so I am putting up her comment using my account]
For many years this was a Republican city. Under the leadership of Shawn Thompson and John Goldberg we Democrats cleaned our own house. and became the majority party.
When it became obvious the party was sliding back, 23 of the 50 committee members left the party not because we were out voted. But because the direction of the local committee was sliding back to medicoracy and serving themselves, not the tax payers.Under the leadership of Mr Maxwell the party doesn’t even interview all new candidates. They blindly support Ms Singvi who can’t even construct a budget. But nothing is as egregious as supporting Mr Moran who has cost us taxpayers a lot of money on lawsuits and lawyers. That money certainly could have been better spent to benefit tax payers.
In the letter sent by Mr Maxwell, he lied and he knows it. As for Mr Boyd, he has been a Democrat, a Republican, an Undependence party member and is once again a Democrat. He has been known to lie before and he is back to his old tricks. Mr Kuczynski is a wanna be who has run for and lost every election.
It is discouraging that in our little City our Democratic committee is behaving just like the National Republican Party. As a supporter of one Saratoga I can’t say I agree with all of their choices. But it’s called Democracy! At least I believe they interview every candidate who wants to run with the benefit to tax payers in mind.
I’m have been an election inspector in three states and England for over 40 years. In view of the mendacity of one or both of our political parties, I can only hope the two new commissioners of election will uphold the legal standards for which our past commissioners have been known.
Nancy Goldberg
LikeLike
Thanks to Richard Sellers for a fine letter to the editor in the most recent issue of Saratoga Today. I gladly signed the One Saratoga petition and encouraged others to do so. I’m also a lifelong registered Republican ever since seeking summer employment in Saratoga Springs but rarely voted as such. So now I seem to have become a MAGA Republican according to the unconvincing letter from Otis Maxwell. “Don’t be fooled. Please vote Democratic Row A” That would mean a vote for Dillon Moran whose campaign slogan is “honesty ,integrity and independence” Really? And an embarrassingly inept Minita Sanghvi?
I believe Saratoga Springs voters are smarter than Otis, Gordon and Hank think .
LikeLike
I’m not sure exactly what kind of answers Dr. Mathiesen and Anonymous are looking for. Dr. Mathiesen asks “I don’t know why Republicans continue to fail to readily acknowledge that Joe Biden won in 2020.” Mike Brandi, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee Chair, responds, readily acknowledging that Biden won in 2020. Instead of thanking Brandi for the clarification, Mathiesen labels Brandi’s response sarcasm and proceeds to then ask well “how come so many other prominent Republicans continue to refuse to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 elections….?” How many Republicans does Mathiesen want Brandi to answer for? How many Republicans saying they believe Biden won would satisfy Mathiesen? Likewise in spite of the fact that Mayor Safford has unequivocally stated that he believes Joe Biden won in 2020 we have Anonymous asking when Safford is going to speak. Really, people, maybe we should all start to ask our fellow Democrats when they are going to admit that Joe Biden was unfit to run for office in 2023. Or how about asking Democrats when they are going to condemn Biden and Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer for funding genocide in Gaza?
LikeLike
isn’t this a local election?
LikeLike
Hi Jane,
““I don’t know why Republicans continue to fail to readily acknowledge that Joe Biden won in 2020.” Mike Brandi, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee Chair, responds, readily acknowledging that Biden won in 2020.’
How nice the Mike Brandi said this. The problem is that Brandi is not running and it we the candidate that was asked the question and found it “complicated”
Good try!
LikeLike
Dear Gayle-in case you somehow missed Mayor Safford’s reply to Michele, here it is again:
“Your comments distort the video and misrepresent my position on some important questions, and it is unfortunate that you felt the need to do this. To be clear, Joe Biden won the election in 2020, and I condemn the violent assault on the capital that occurred on January 6th. I find it deeply troubling that you would post such false assertions relating to me and One Saratoga.
I also appreciate and understand that many people have different opinions on these issues. As Mayor of Saratoga Springs, I have the honor and privilege of representing all Saratogians, even those who do not necessarily share my opinion, and I was simply trying to express the need to acknowledge those differing opinions and to work toward finding common ground.
In the video, I was approached by Joe Seeman, a local activist, as I was walking to the dedication of the park in Tommy McTygue’s name. It is clear in the video that Joe was not trying to have a real conversation. Even though I tried to engage him in good faith, he continually interrupted me and did not allow me to speak or express my opinion or my position. I urge people to watch the video and decide for themselves. “
LikeLike
While we are on the subject, how many people believe that George W. Bush really won the 2000 election?
LikeLike
Anyone want to weigh in on Rutherford B Hayes, election of 1877?
LikeLike
I don’t know who made the above comment that I cannot seem to respond to above but since you apparently attributed it to me, I’ll respond.
Safford said those things ONLY AFTER he was challenged by Michele Madigan so the spin you are attempting along with John is a poor attempt. Why was he not able to say them, clearly, when asked the first time? Did he need to get permission from Brandi as it seems Brandi is running this campaign and unfortunately, maybe Safford himself. I say unfortunately as I have always liked John but find myself very disappointed in how he has allowed Brandi to run his campaign in such a vitriolic and unethical manner.
PS: Jane, I have been transparent in who I am. How about you come out from behind the curtain.
LikeLike