On Saturday, January 20, the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee voted to endorse Jamestown Attorney Eddie Sundquist to be the Democratic Nominee for Congress.
According to the Press Release from CCDC’s Chair Norm Green, the Committee needed four rounds of voting before one candidate, Sundquist, received a majority of the Committee members votes. It also stated that Professor Tracy Mitrano and Air Force Veteran Max Della Pia came in second and thirds respectively.
With the endorsement, Green said that all the Committee members are “duty bound” to pass petitions and campaign for Sundquist. Sundquist, as well as the other six democratic candidates, need to collect at least 1,250 signatures of NY23rd registered democrats to be able to participate in the June 26 Democratic Primary. The period to pass petitions begins March 6. They will need to be filed in Albany by April 12.
The Press Released the following data:
The Democratic enrollment by county is Allegany (5,794) Cattaraugus (14,102) Chautauqua (25,268) Chemung (15,174) Ontario (8,539) Schuyler (3,242) Seneca (5,887) Steuben (14,004) Tioga (6,127) Tompkins (28,003) Yates (3,225) for a Grand Total of 129,365 Active Democrats. (11,441 Dems turned out for the 2012 Congressional Primary in the NY23.)
In October, the three western NY-23rd counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua) held a Straw Poll fund-raising event which was won by Businessman Ian Golden, Sundquist was second and Mitrano was third. .
The candidates have been in numerous Meet & Greet Forums around the district. On Tuesday all candidates are planning to be at an Issued-Focused Forum in Geneva. Then on Sunday, January 28 a Meet & Greet will be held in Seneca Falls. The Yates County Democratic Committee is planning a Meet & Greet after the petition process and with the candidates who has had their petitions certified. Hopefully other opportunities to meet the candidates will be scheduled. (Please inform the New NY23rd when other opportunities are scheduled).
These events are aimed to help inform registered Democrats about their choices for the Primary. They also may be useful to any voter who has the slightest uneasiness about what is happening in Washington. Knowledge is power.
New NY 23rd 
I am surprised the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee moved so quickly to endorse a candidate. They may have to change their minds as the campaign unfolds.
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Is Seneca Falls really in the 23rd?
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Yes, not only Seneca Falls, but Seneca County, the east side of Seneca Lake is in the NY 23 (includes Ovid, Romulus, Interlaken, Lodi, and Waterloo). This is a BIG district.
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Congressional Districts are determined by population numbers. Each CD must have a specific minimum number of citizens in it.
It is wrong for any County Committee to endorse a candidate and instruct the committee members to collect signatures for their “chosen” candidate. The committee members should be giving the registered Democrat voters the choice of several candidates to sign their petition.
The County Committee and their committee members best serve the registered voters by getting at least four candidates onto the primary ballot.
Endorsing a candidate before the primary election is just wrong and is nothing more than Party cronyism.
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I wonder what Republican County Committees will do. I’ll bet they are quick to endorse the incumbent.
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The GOP Committees will for the most part will take teh easy way out and fall lockstep in line with Congressman Reed. All but a few Committee members will follow suit instead of rocking the boat.
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