Chaotic City Democratic Committee Meeting Reinforces Their Inept Status Quo

Coming off their third consecutive major election loss, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee has established a new low in terms of competence and community relations.

The Open Meeting Closed

An extremely unflattering front page story in the November 16, 2025, edition of the Daily Gazette, documented the debacle that unfolded at the November 15, 2025, Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee meeting.

The previous week, committee chair Otis Maxwell emailed the committee, advising them that the meeting would address the results of the recent election where the committee’s nominees suffered significant losses and be open to the community.

Some days later, he wrote to the committee again, reversing his earlier email and advising that the meeting would not be open to non-committee members. Some members of the committee complained that it was too late to close the meeting, as non-members attending might not be aware that they had been uninvited.

Approximately 30 members of the committee attended in person (a full committee would have 50 members), a handful had proxies from other members, and at least one person (Dillon Moran) participated via Zoom.

Approximately twenty additional people attended, including members of the press and students from Skidmore College Professor Bob Turner’s class on local politics.

Prior to the meeting, Maxwell had falsely telegraphed that the executive committee would be resigning at the meeting. It generated a rumor that had spread quickly. At the meeting, before it was closed to the public, Maxwell reinforced this narrative.

In a classic case of unintended irony, Maxwell told those present that “I and the executive committee acknowledge there are broad calls for a change in leadership. We hear and accept that message (emphasis added).”

As documented in the Daily Gazette article, after the public and press were escorted out, Maxwell told those present that he and the executive committee had no intention of stepping down. Maxwell did entertain a motion directing the executive committee to resign. The motion failed in a close vote (16 v 20). Despite the conflict of interest, most of the executive committee voted against the motion. If the executive committee members had demonstrated ethics and refrained from voting, the measure would have prevailed.

The result of this foolishness was a news story in a variety of publications that only added to Maxwell’s and his committee’s dubious reputation.

Before the public was removed, newly elected Commissioner of Public Works BK Keramati rose and told the committee that he stood behind his controversial mailers and that they were factually accurate. This was interesting because during the previous two weeks, Keramati had faced withering criticism for the sensational misinformation he had used in his campaign. In contrast to his remarks at the meeting, he had defended himself by expressing regret for his mailers.

Maxwell then introduced Achim Bergmann. Bergmann, in addition to being a member of the committee, is a professional campaign consultant and was engaged by the committee, along with several endorsed candidates, to assist in running Democratic campaigns.

Bergmann’s analysis was purely statistical, and it concluded that One Saratoga had been instrumental in the defeat of most of the committee’s endorsed candidates.

Bergmann finished his presentation by asking if anyone had any questions. One of the non-committee members responded. She wondered whether the discussion would include an assessment of whether any of the candidates endorsed by the committee had posed a problem. When she noted that she had voted for the One Saratoga line because of concerns about candidates endorsed by the city Democratic Committee, Otis Maxwell interrupted her. In harsh terms, he told her that she was not a member of the committee and that she was out of order speaking. It was apparent that he was committed to silencing any criticism of his committee’s candidates, even if it meant alienating the members of the public and press in attendance.

Maxwell then called for a vote to have anyone present who was not a committee member leave. The vote was close. According to the Daily Gazette, the vote was 19 in favor and 17 against. The press and the other non-members exited.

“It’s deeply disappointing and unnerving that my constituents, campaign team, and press were thrown out of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee meeting,” said committee member, former chair, and City Supervisor-elect Sarah Burger.

According to the Gazette, Skidmore professor Bob Turner told the paper:

“My students were kind of struck by being asked to leave, they say they were kind of rubbed the wrong way by that,” Turner said.

“Here’s this opportunity to listen to people who really care,” Turner added.

So Much For The Alleged Change In Leadership

Following the failed vote to remove members of the executive committee, Maxwell announced that the Democratic Party of Saratoga Springs would organize a listening tour to solicit community input. This prompted a wag to observe, “There already was a listening tour and the message was a ringing rejection. It was called an election.”