Legislator joins Dems, shifts power balance
Seven months after being elected with Republican backing, freshman Ulster County Legislator Joseph Maloney has enrolled in the Democratic Party, essentially giving Democrats control of the 23-member Legislature.
Maloney, a registered member of the Independence Party who represents District 2 (Saugerties), said he filed paperwork with the Ulster County Board of Elections earlier this week to become a registered Democrat. Under state law, the change in party enrollment won’t take effect until after the November election.
Maloney was elected to the Legislature last fall over Democratic incumbent Chris Allen by a vote of 1,325-1,184 vote, due in large part to Republicans who cast 821 votes for the newcomer. Maloney ran on the Independence, Republican, Conservative, Green and Women’s Equality lines.
When he entered the Legislature in January, he aligned with Republican lawmakers, but that relationship quickly soured, and Maloney began caucusing with Democrats who, he said, are more “like-minded.”
“They’ve kind of welcomed me in and voted with me and worked with me on a lot of stuff,” Maloney said Friday.
“This (the change of registration) makes me a real part of the Democratic caucus,” he said. “I was kind of a guest and I appreciated that, but I really wanted to let them know I appreciate them and working with them.
“So, for the next year and a half, I want to be part of their team,” he said.
Maloney said he didn’t discuss his change in party enrollment with Republican leaders prior to making the switch, but he said he doubts his switch will matter to his constituents.
“I’ve talked to my constituents at length, and the people up here in Saugerties are not concerned with what letter is after my name. They are concerned with what I’m trying to accomplish,” he said.
The chairmen of the Ulster County Republican Committee and Saugerties Republican Committee could not be reached for comment Friday.
Legislature Chairman Ken Ronk, R-Wallkill, said he was surprised by Maloney’s move because the new legislator has been speaking out against the two-party system since taking office.
“He’s been telling everybody that he’s independent, and he’s been railing against the two-party system, then goes and joins one of the two parties,” Ronk said. “He’s the one who’s going to answer to his constituents on that and to answer to himself on that.”
Maloney said despite the change in party enrollment, he still intends to vote his conscience
“I feel very comfortable with everything I’ve done in the first six months and gotten a lot of positive feedback. They understand what I’m trying to do,” he said of his constituents.
Maloney’s switch means the Legislature’s Democratic caucus now has 12 members: Nine who were Democrats when they were elected, Maloney, and Tracy Bartels and Laura Petit. Bartels and Petit are not enrolled in the party but caucus with its members.
There are 11 Republicans in the lawmaking body.
Whether Maloney’s move will cost Ronk the Legislature chairmanship when new leaders are picked next January is uncertain. Maloney voted for Ronk at the start of 2018 and said he won’t necessarily back a Democrat next year.
“I’ll vote for who I think will do the best job,” he said.