Former legislature chairwoman Terry Bernardo of Rochester says she’ll run for county executive despite being denied the opportunity to have her name placed in nomination at the Republican Party’s annual convention in Kingston on Wednesday night.
Bernardo was in the audience with an acceptance speech in hand when party Chairman Roger Rascoe announced that the convention would not entertain nominations for county executive or Family Court judge because no candidate had approached the party’s 27-member executive committee to run. With that, Rascoe asked for and received a motion and a second to adjourn the convention. Before a voice vote could be taken, Franco Zanic of Lloyd made a motion to nominate Bernardo for executive. Rascoe ruled the motion out of order, since no motions can be entertained after a motion to adjourn. A voice vote adjourned the convention.
Bernardo, who read her acceptance speech to reporters as delegates filed out of The Chateau (formerly the Hillside Manor) in Kingston, said she would circulate petitions to get on the ballot, which in any event is required by election law. Nominations at convention are unofficial.
Candidates need to collect valid signatures by mid-July from 5 percent of party members based on the votes cast for that party’s candidate in the last gubernatorial election. In Bernardo’s case, that would be 1,197 signatures.
In other action, Republicans nominated Holley Carnright of Saugerties for a third term for district attorney. There were no nominations for Family Court judge. Democrat Anthony McGinty is seeking a second, 10-year, term.
Republicans nominated 13 of 23 candidates for county legislature, leaving 10 seats to Democrats. The GOP did not nominate candidates in Democratic strongholds in New Paltz, Woodstock, Rosendale, Ellenville and Olive. Democrats, who hold a 13-10 majority in the legislature, left five seats held by Republicans open when they met in convention last week.
City GOP to meet June 10
Kingston Republicans will meet in convention at party headquarters corner of John St. and Lucas Avenue, on Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m., according to party Chairman Tony Sinagra. Delegates are expected to consider nominations for mayor, alderman-at-large, alderman in the city’s nine wards, county executive, district attorney and family court judge. The meeting is open to the public but only members of the committee will be allowed to vote.
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