Rensselaer Mayor celebrates re-election
Stammel’s victory over Mooney becomes official
RENSSELAER, N.Y. » Mayor Michael Stammel has won re-election. A tight contest and subsequently prolonged court battle saw Stammel top his Democratic challenger, Rich Mooney, in a rematch of their 2019 mayoral race.
Stammel, a Republican, was elated upon receiving the news that his campaign was victorious.
“I ran to win and I’m glad I did. I had no doubt that I was going to win in the long run, when there were so many absentee ballots out there,” Stammel said.
Stammel also felt that attacks and charges from the Mooney campaign were unfounded and unwarranted.
“I didn’t see a reason for Mr. Mooney’s camp to try to claim fraud on 60 ballots or 40 ballots and then say 20 of the ballots or couldn’t tell what the signatures were or accuse fraud. That was all a big hoax by the Democrats here in the City of Rensselaer and some of the people that were supporting his efforts to win,” Stammel remarked on some of the ballot challenges.
Stammel also voiced his concern that the pettiness of the process might dissuade voters from casting absentee ballots in the future.
“It’s too bad because it made a mockery out of the absentee ballot process, which will make it harder for people who wanna consider doing absentee ballots in the future because if they gotta have the police knock on their doors or sign affidavits or worry about their ballots being counted in public. It was a bad process for those people who are the voters,” Stammel explained.
“Why would you even want to do it anymore? Here their national party is promoting absentee ballots and what’s he turn around and do? Challenge every one he could. Challenge every on one my side anyway, he didn’t
challenge any of his own but he sure challenged all of mine,” Stammel noted.
Mooney also reflected on the hard-fought campaign.
“When I announced my campaign to become Rensselaer’s next mayor back in February of this year, I pledged to run a campaign that brought out the best of our city. I thank the Good Lord every day that I am from Rensselaer. A city that Amy and I love each and every day, making our community a better and brighter place to live. It’s the same city that my family, my siblings, and I have given our hearts and souls to making a resurgent city on the Hudson,” Mooney stated.
“What this election and the subsequent deliberations made in the Court have strongly indicated that our city remains divided, no matter the victor. Despite the insidious
efforts made by those to sully and disenfranchise residents who voted properly and validly, the results are not what we
had hoped for. Elections should be either be won and lost based upon each valid vote being counted properly. We may never know the true result,” Mooney added on the ballot counting process.
Looking ahead, Stammel will have more Republican allies on the Common Council, including Brian Stall, Ernie Dambrose, both of whom also recently won their respective elections following the final tallying of absentee ballot votes.
“While the board of elections has not officially certified the results yet due to the long-drawnout court battle, I am feeling confident that the current results will stand. I am happy that the majority of the Rensselaer voters have trusted me to represent the city of Rensselaer in the county. I feel the voters saw my past track record on the city council and my campaign messages on taxes, youth, and senior programs as something they could relate to and get behind. I’m excited to get started on fulfilling my campaign promises. I truly thank all the people who helped me on this journey and especially my wife for making close to a thousand chocolate lollipops,” Stall stated regarding his victory.
“It was a really good campaign, I’d have liked to had a minimum of at least three so I didn’t have to put up with these vetoes all the time or didn’t have to worry about a veto coming down the pike but I’d like to think it’ll work and I look forward to working with the majority this year, rather than try to stop or question,” Stammel remarked on the council victories.
“You know, I don’t mind them questioning, that’s part of the process but to do things just because they could, they stop good government from happening, in my opinion,” Stammel continued regarding some of the obstruction he has faced as mayor.
“I look forward to having a new slate of councilmen and councilmen coming back. There’ll be swearing-in ceremonies at city hall on January 1 at noontime and I urge the public to attend,” Stammel added.
Stammel, who is also Chairman of the Rensselaer County Legislature, additionally reflected on his service in that capacity, which will end in 2022.
“I am gonna miss my 20 years on the legislature obviously and ending up as the chairman,” Stammel said.
“That was something I think you’ll never see as an accomplishment again in the City of Rensselaer where you have one person being able to lead a county full of Republicans where they’re so strong, where you know East Greenbush has got three votes and Troy’s got six and other places, North Greenbush and Poestenkill’s got four,” Stammel continued.
“It was a rewarding and challenging job for me and I treasure every moment that I had, getting the opportunity to serve the people, not only in the City of Rensselaer but in Rensselaer County as a legislator, and chair of the legislature,” Stammel added.