Mantello will run At Large

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.

The next GOP chair; and chatter about Tom Wade

GORDON

Now that Jim Gordon has stepped down as the Republican city chairman, which occurred prior to him winning a seat on the Troy Council representing District 1, the question remains who will take his place in what is one of the most difficult and thankless jobs in the county.



Many people are pointing to Kevin McCashion, the staunch Libertarian who unabashedly, and vigorously, promotes the party’s anti-big government and pro-civil liberties at all cost platform on social media.

MCCASHION

The thing about McCashion is his take no prisoners’ attitude scares some in the GOP because he won’t take them prisoners either. He’d just as soon as rip his own party as the Democrats if they are too passive, dull or otherwise not running the campaign he thinks they should. Or at least that’s what some in the GOP are scared of.

While some may have reservations about McCashion, I don’t know who else the GOP has. Mark Wojcik? Maybe? He was vice chair and is currently serving as interim chair but I don’t think he wants the commitment being a successful chairman would require.

Regardless of who it is, the chairman has a catchy title but really answers to the powers that be at the county level including Rich Crist, liaison for the GOP county legislators, County Executive Kathy Jimino and County Clerk Frank Merola. At least that’s how it’s been for more than 15 years and is another reason McCashion might not get the nod – I don’t see him deferring to anyone without good reason.

On the flip side of things, after Rodney Wiltshire won the Council presidency, there is the annual chatter about the future of county Chairman Tom Wade (pictured left). Wiltshire, and the likely president pro temp, Ken Zalewski, are not Wade’s guys  and there is a divide already forming on the Council between those who are Wade’s guys and those who aren’t.

Wiltshire (pictured right) got a bunch of support from the “Delusional Bunch,” a group of disenfranchised Democrats who include former Councilmen Michael LoPorto and Clement “Chappy” Campana, and former operative Robert Martiniano as well as a group of Working Families Party people. (As an aside Wade coined them, not me.) That alone should be a warning to Wade, but they took a shot at the last organizational meeting and Wade beat their candidate, Robert “Rabbit” Riley, by a sizable margin. Wade is a shrewd politician, is into the job, is good at the job and I don’t think he goes anywhere until he wants to.

The Dems city chair is Jack McCann but he answers to the county chair. It will be interesting to see if McCann gets re-appointed to his city marshal spot by Wiltshire and company. It’s already a given, since they are Wade’s people, most of the current appointees to clerk, deputy clerk, auditor, bingo inspector and city marshals will not have a job come Jan. 1.

But, if they go after McCann, consider it all-out war.