Ballston Spa mayoral candidate off ballot

Ex-mayor’s petitions were challenged ahead of March 19 contest

The former mayor who was seeking to gain back his old seat will not be placed on the March 19 ballot because some of his petition signatures were successfully challenged, causing him to come up short of the needed 100.

About 27 petition signatures for Jim Capasso, who wanted to run against Republican candidate Larry Woolbright, were challenged by the party Chair Anna Stanko. The signatures were subsequently tossed on Wednesday, paving the way for Woolbright to run unopposed.

“Election laws are specific and the judge looked at it and that’s exactly what he tells you,” said Capasso, a Republican who had planned to run as an independent. “I don’t have a recourse. The reason (the Republican party) wanted to knock me off the ballot was because they knew I could win. They are afraid of that.”

Stanko said Capasso should have known not to seek signatures from people who are not registered voters.

“You have to be registered in the village,” she said. “There was one person who didn’t even live in the village that was on there.”

This is not the first time that Capasso had his petition tossed. In 1995, after one term as mayor, Capasso said the current Mayor John Romano, who was then the Republican chair, had Capasso’s petitions thrown out because he submitted them too early.

“Submission times were 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Capasso said. “I submitted it at 8:57 a.m. That’s politics.”

Capasso said local politics, especially in the Republican party, has gotten ugly and it’s why he planned an independent run.

“It’s disheartening to see,” Capasso said. “The local level is now like the national level. This is what you get when one party is in power too long.”

Capasso said he may launch a write-in campaign that will emphasize his agenda, which he said is not political.

“My agenda is my love for Ballston Spa,” Capasso said. “I’m a Ballstonian first.”

Stanko said she is surprised by Capasso’s attempt at running because he encouraged Woolbright to seek office, but then turned from him once he was endorsed by the Republican Committee. Woolbright also won the Democratic committee endorsement, which he rejected, as directed by the GOP committee.

Stanko says residents should have confidence in Woolbright.

“I think he will do a good job,” she said.