Republicans Sue To Knock

Sharratt Off Hartwick Ballot

COOPERSTOWN – The county Republican Committee is going back to court this week to try to knock another Democrat off the ballot, county Democratic Chair Richard Abbate said this evening.

“They must have a lot of money for legal fees,” he said.

According to Abbate, the GOP committee has filed papers challenging one of the petitions submitted by Juli Sharratt, the Hartwick Town Board member who won the Democratic primary for town supervisor in the Sept. 10 primary.

The Republicans are arguing one of the Sharratt petitions lacked an address, the Democrat said.

Fire Chief Bob O’Brien, who narrowly won the Republican primary, defeating incumbent Republican David Butler, himself narrowly lost the Democratic primary to Sharratt.

Butler is nonetheless running on the Conservative line and a local line in the Nov. 3 general election. If the GOP challenge succeeds, then O’Brien would appear on the Republican and Democratic lines.

Lawyers for the Republicans and Democrats will argue their respective cases before Supreme Court Judge Kevin Dowd at 10 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom #1 of the Otsego County Courthouse in Cooperstown.

The papers were served on behalf of GOP County Chair Vince Casale and Town GOP Chair John Marmorato, Abbate said.