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Longest Village Campaign
In History May End Sept. 15
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
COOPERSTOWN – It could be the longest campaign for village board in New York State history.
Governor Cuomo over the weekend again rescheduled village elections – the contested one in Cooperstown, as well as others across the state – until Sept. 15, six months after the original March 18 date, Village Clerk Teri Barown confirmed this morning.
Already, the three local candidates nominated in party caucuses at the end of January had undergone a seven-week campaign when the governor, on Monday, March 16, advised voters he’d rescheduled the vote to June 28, to coincide with the state’s presidential primary.
After the presidential primary was cancelled altogether, Cuomo said village elections would not be held until after June 1. He’s now scheduled it for the third Tuesday in September.
Locally, it had been the liveliest campaign in years, with Republican Mary Margaret Sohns mounting a rare challenge to the Democratic establishment – represented by incumbent village trustees Joe Membrino and Mac Benton.
In a normal year, the winning candidates would have been sworn in on the first Monday in April, which this year would have been the 6th. Whomever is elected in September, their terms will expire at the usual time – March 31, 2023, Barown said.
