Capital Region Scene

State legislator candidates' petitions challenged

Candidate petitions for spots on the fall election ballot are being challenged in a handful of Assembly and state Senate districts in the Capital Region, but few specific objections have been filed with the state Board of Elections.

In the race for the 51st Senate District, which includes Schoharie County, incumbent Republican Sen. James Seward's likely Democratic challenger and Republican challenger have had specific objections filed against their petitions. Board of Elections spokesman John Conklin said on Wednesday evening that specific objections have been filed against Howard Leib's Democratic and Working Families petitions and specific objections have been filed against James Blake's Republican petitions.

All the objections are under review by the Board of Elections.

In the 118th Assembly District, specific objections have been filed against the Conservative and Independence petitions of incumbent Republican Marc Butler. The challenges, which were filed by Butler's Democratic opponent, are under review by the state board.

In the 43rd Senate District, which includes part of Saratoga County, general objections were filed against Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchion'e Conservative Party petitions, but no specific objections were filed. Specific objections are needed in order for the board to again review petitions that had been deemed valid. Specific objections were due on July 19 in this district and have not been filed with the board.

Conklin noted that the board will accept specific objections that are mailed with a postmark by the due date.

In th 110th Assembly District, general objections were filed against the
Independence Party petitions of Kevin Frazier, Phil Steck, Joe Landry and Jennifer Whalen. Specific objections were already due in each case and were not filed.

In the 111th Assembly District, general objections were filed against the Conservative and Independence petitions of Thomas Quackenbush, but no specific objections, which were due on July 23, were filed.

In the 114th Assembly District, specific objections were filed against the Green Party petitions of Derek Java. The board reviewed this objection and after a hearing where the objector and Java were represented, it was recommended to the full Board of Elections commissioners that the petitions be invalidated. They are scheduled to rule on that recommendation on Aug. 7.
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