District attorney contest tops Thursday primaries
Democrat aims to take Independence line from Abelove
The race for Rensselaer County district attorney is the headliner of the four local offices on the county’s minority party primary ballots Thursday.
The Independence
Party contest between Republican incumbent District Attorney Joel E. Abelove and Democratic candidate Mary Pat Donnelly has the attention of county political insiders.
It was the Independence line that gave Abelove the key to narrowly winning the 2014 race. Republicans follow a strategy of securing as many minor party lines as possible on the ballot to help their candidates overcome Democratic enrollment advantages.
Donnelly of East Greenbush is an enrolled Independence Party member. As a GOP member, Abelove of Rensselaer had to obtain party leaders’ support to circulate petitions for his name to appear on the ballot. In the Green Party primary, both candidates will have to have their names written in.
Donnelly will also appear on the ballot for the Working Families Party and Women’s Equality Party primaries. Abelove’s supporters will have to write in his name in what’s known as an opportunity to ballot.
So far in the campaign, Donnelly has raised $69,493 to Abelove’s $35,968, according to state Board of Elections campaign filling reports. Donnelly has slightly outspent Abelove, $21,293 to $18,297.
There is a write-in primary for the Working Families Party and Women’s Equality Party for a seat on the Rensselaer County Legislature representing Troy. Democrat Carole Claren-weaver has the two parties’ endorsements and will appear on the ballot. Republicans are backing County Legislator Kim Ashe-mcpherson, C-troy, who was appointed by the Gop-controlled legislature to fill the office vacated when Minority Leader Edward Manny, Dtroy, died earlier this year. Ashe-mcpherson supporters will have to write in her name.
In East Greenbush, there are write-in contests for a Town Board seat in the Green, Working Families and Independence parties. M. Bridget Fritz has the Working Families and Women’s Equal-
ity endorsements while Daniel E. Plumley is on the Independence line.
Schodack has a multiparty contest in the primaries for town justice. Democrat Olivia T. Karisnix and Republican Ryan P. Mullahy are facing each other in the Conservative, Working Families, Independence, Women’s Equality and Reform parties primaries.
Voting will be noon-9 p.m. Thursday in the primaries. Information about voting is available at the county Board of Elections, 1600 Seventh Ave. Troy; online at the county website http://www.rensco. com; or by calling 518-2702990.