Kingsley, Bulger seeking Saratoga County GOP chairmanship
SARATOGA SPRINGS >> Two candidates, Scott Kingsley of Wilton and Steve Bulger of Clifton Park, are seeking to replace John Herrick as Saratoga Coun-
ty’s new Republican Party chairman.
The roughly 350-member GOP committee will choose its next leader on Sept. 19, at a site still to be determined.
Herrick recently announced his resignation, effective in September, from the two-year, non-paying position that he’s held for two terms.
Herrick, a Saratoga Springs resident, said he will not endorse either of the two men trying to succeed him.
Kingsley, 43, is the county committee’s vice chairman and was town of Wilton Republican Party chairman from 2011-15. He is employed as customer service manager at the Granville Price Chopper store. He began working for the company at 15.
Bulger, 56, is district director for U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, who is retiring at the end of this year. Bulger has held this job since Gibson was first elected to Congress. Previously he did sales and marketing for the Stryker medical device company and plans on returning to the private sector in 2017.
If elected chairman, Kingsley said his top priority would be getting Republican majorities on the Saratoga Springs City Council and in the city of Mechanicville. At present, those are the only two municipalities in the county where Democrats have control.
“I also want to get more millennials (people born from 1982-2000) involved in local politics,” he said. “They’re becoming a political force, but they don’t tend to join organized parties. We need to take a look at 2026, 2036 and 2046.”
Kingsley described his political leanings as somewhat right-of-center, a “mainstream conservative.”
He said he’d like to get people that belong to groups such as the Upstate Conservative Coalition more involved with the county GOP committee.
“We could use the energy they bring to the party,” he said.
Bulger, a Troy native, is a county committeeman and has been involved in Saratoga County GOP politics for the past 20 years. He is a self-described “traditional Republican.”
As Gibson’s district director, Bulger said he’s learned a great deal about campaign management and strategies, and fundraising tactics. He was also active on Gibson’s exploratory committee when Gibson considered plans to run for governor.
“I’ve gained a lot of experience dealing with campaigns and working with committees across the state while working for Congressman Gibson,” Bulger said. “I’ve been blessed to see different ways of doing things and I want to bring them to the Saratoga County committee and see if we can help the party grow and expand.”
If elected chairman, Bulger said his top priority would be “continuing the great success Republicans have had in Saratoga County for decades now.”
“I’m excited for this opportunity. I feel I can help keep moving the party forward.” he said. “We’re already strong in the county and I want to keep that tradition. We also want our elected officials be responsive to all our constituents as they are obviously already doing, and I want to make sure we’re promoting traditional Republican ideals, limited government and keeping safe and secure at home.”
The GOP has 21 seats on the 23-member county Board of Supervisors and holds every other countywide office.
Previously, Bulger worked on Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett’s campaign and for former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney. He is a past town Planning Board chairman and has worked on economic development at the local level.
Herrick said three people are seeking the GOP’s nomination for Saratoga County family court judge. They are Diane Freestone of Saratoga Springs, Paul Pelagalli of Clifton Park and Amy Knussman of Ballston.
There are no other countywide seats up for grabs this fall.