McLaughlin gets state Independence nod for county executive

TROY, N.Y. » The Rensselaer County Independence Party and its state overseers have split their choice in the race for Rensselaer County executive, leaving questions about that line on the Novermber ballot.

A day after Deputy County Executive announced he had received the endorsement of the county Independence Party, Assemblyman Steven McLaughlin, R-Schaghticoke, announced he had picked up the endorsement of the party’s state committee, as well as the unanimous backing of the Rensselaer County Conservative Party. With a party’s endorsement also including a guaranteed spot on the ballot in any potential primary, that leaves a question of which candidate would have to gather the signatures of five percent of party members in the county to also be included on the ballot.

In the news release announcing his latest endorsements, McLaughlin said the state endorsement comes with the guaranteed ballot spot in a primary, but the county committees typically choose its own nominees. Meyer also has the endorsement of the Rensselaer County Republican Committee, but McLaughlin also said in the news release that he plans to gather the requisite number of signatures to challenge Meyer in a Sept. 12 primary for that ballot line.

The two are vying to replace Meyer’s boss, County Executive Kathleen Jimino, who announced in April she would not run for a fifth four-year term.