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.
