Carmella Mantello is out of the
race she was never officially in.
But, rather than run for mayor,
the three-term councilwoman will take a shot at an At-Large seat on the Troy
City Council.
If she did follow through and make
a third attempt at mayor, something she has hinted at for months, she would
have had to first primary the Republican nominee Jim Gordon, a Republican
representing District 1.
And even if she managed to get by
Gordon in the Republican primary, she would not have had the Conservative or
Independence party lines without waging much more difficult write-in primaries
for those two minor party lines. The two combined can make up 15 percent of the
general election vote and it is nearly impossible for a Republican to win
without them given that Democrats far outnumber Republicans in the Collar City.
While gearing up for a mayoral
run, Mantello did her share of bashing Gordon. The decision to run for an At Large
seat, though, has forced her to change her tune. In a press release announcing
her intention, she said she have Gordon’s support as well as that of city GOP
Chairman Mark Wojcik.
“I am looking forward to a “Partnership
for Progress” with Jim and the Whole Republican ticket that will move our city
forward in a constructive and comprehensive manner,” Mantello said in a
statement.
Two years ago Mantello came in
fourth by a narrow margin. She contested the election results and there are
still questions as to whether she was edged out by Councilwoman Lynn Kopka,
D-At-Large or not for the third and final At-Large spot.
Republican County Chairman Tom
Wade, in an email to party members, called her the “strongest” At-Large candidate
the GOP has this year, albeit with a hint of sarcasm.
“She is a three-time defeated
candidate for citywide office and not a major threat to our campaign but will
be the strongest in a field of weak Republican candidates,” Wade said in the
email. “We can beat her again in her fourth try.”
Mantello will join Andrea Daley to
run At-Large. The party is looking for a third. Last week former Times Union editor Bill Dowd said health reasons forced him out of his own race for an At-Large seat.
