Democratic council slate all newcomers
County legislator Pavlic to oppose Mantello for council president
TROY, N.Y. >> The slate of Troy City Council candidates announced Wednesday by the city’s Democratic Committee include some familiar names and some that are unfamiliar in political circles, but the thing that stands out most about the list is that it includes no incumbents.
In a Wednesday morning news release, city Democratic Chairwoman Carole Weaver announced that current Rensselaer
County Legislator Gary Pavlic will oppose incumbent Republican Carmella Mantello to be council president, the sole remaining atlarge seat on the council as the result of changes to the city charter approved by voters in 2015. Pavlic, a former secretary to the council who is retired from the state
Health Department, has represented the city in the county Legislature since winning a special election in 2012.
The other two at-large seats, held currently by Republican Kimberly Ashe-McPherson and Democrat Erin Sullivan-Teta, were abolished under a plan to reduce the size of the council from 9 to 7.
Sullivan-Teta is not running to remain on the council in one of the six district seats, while fellow Democrats Robert Doherty in District 4 and former council president Lynn Kopka in District 5 also decided not to run for re-election. Republicans currently hold a 6-3 advantage on the council, which would be 5-2 if the parties retain control of the remaining seats after the reduction.
The remaining Democratic candidates are Margaret “Peggy” Kownack in District 1, Cindy Barclay in District 2, Coleen Murtaugh Paratore in District 3, Anasha Cummings in District 4, David Bissember in District 5 and Timothy “T. J.” Kennedy in District 6.
“After an extensive interview process of candidates with a wide range of qualifications and community involvement, we are proud and excited about our endorsed candidates,” Weaver said in the release. “I’m looking forward to working with them on the campaign trail. We have a lot of fresh faces ready to work with the administration [of Democratic Mayor Patrick Madden] in moving the city in the right direction toward a common goal.”
City Republicans have yet to release their slate of candidates, but, other than Ashe-McPherson, the only council member from that party not ex-
pected to run for re- election is District 3 representative Dean Bodnar, who is completing his fourth two-year term and is forbidden by term limits in the city charter from run-
ning again.
“Our united Democratic Party is supporting a diverse group of candidates who are committed to helping the city of Troy reach new heights and become the best it can be,” said Rensselaer County Democratic Chairman Michael J. Monescalchi in the news release.