GOP Endorses Ruffles
As County Treasurer
Democrat Crowell Supports His Deputy, Too
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
MILFORD – The Otsego County Republican Committee over the weekend unanimously endorsed Allen Ruffles, Democratic treasurer Dan Crowell’s deputy, for county treasurer.
“We are very pleased to have a candidate of this caliber,” said GOP County Chair Vince Casale. “Allen’s experience is second to none. He will be a great candidate and certainly a tremendous asset to our county as our treasurer.”
The endorsement, made at a Saturday morning meeting at The Elm Inn, means Ruffles’ name will appear on the Republican ballot line in November.
Ruffles, who grew up in Edmeston and now resides in Cooperstown, was Key Bank’s Cooperstown branch manager when he was recruited by Crowell last August as his deputy. At the time, he was an independent, and was solicited by both parties before deciding to register as a Republican.
In announcing March 7 that he won’t run again, Crowell nonetheless “wholeheartedly” endorsed Ruffles to succeed him.
“I am please to have the endorsement of the Otsego County Republican Committee,” said Ruffles, who plans to make an official announcement shortly. “I look forward to starting my campaign and getting a chance to meet even more of the great people of this county.”
The candidate has an associates degree in Liberal Arts from Broome Community College, a bachelor’s in education from SUNY Oneonta and a master’s in Geoscience from Mississippi State University.
He was a teacher at Laurens Central School for five years. Then, a licensed financial adviser, he was an agent for New York Life in Syracuse for three years, before returning to the county in early 2016.
Allen has been an engineer in the New York Army National Guard since 2013.
He and wife Amy have two children, Cooper, 3, and Mia, 8. His parents are Allen Ruffles of Edmeston and Laura Bennett of Edmeston.
