GOP supervisor’s primary promised in Malta

PHOTOGRAPHER: Tatiana Zarnowski

Malta Republicans on Friday announced they endorsed incumbent Paul Sausville for town supervisor, and a town councilman plans to force a primary against him.

Paul Sausville, who has held the post since 2006, will face a primary contest despite his endorsement by the Malta Republican Committee. Councilman Peter Klotz said Friday he plans to continue his campaign and will force a Republican primary against Sausville.

Sausville has deep roots in the community and a well-rounded professional background as an engineer, said Ted Willette, town of Malta Republican chairman. Sausville secured almost 90 percent of the vote in the last election, Willette said Friday in a statement.

“Malta has seen significant growth over the last decade. This endorsement signifies that residents have a clear choice in an individual who has led by his experience, integrity and loyalty that the voters deserve, an individual who has the best vision for the town for future years of smart economic growth,” Willette said.

He added that Sausville is the only candidate who opposes the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, is against a town or highway tax and has experience getting community benefits from GlobalFoundries.

Sausville also was endorsed this week by the Independence Party.

Besides forcing a GOP primary, Klotz also is seeking the Conservative Party nomination.

“The endorsement last night was pretty much what I expected,” Klotz said of the town Republicans.

He has criticized Sausville for diverging from the rest of the Town Board members, all of whom are Republican, to pursue his own ideas on town issues. Klotz, 56, was elected to the Town Board in 2007 and is pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church on Route 9.

Sausville, 73, is a professional engineer with a degree from the University of Vermont. He worked for the state Department of Environmental Conservation for decades before founding Sausville and Schriber Consulting Engineers.

On the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, Sausville is chairman of the Law and Finance Committee and is in line to serve as county board chairman in 2014 if re-elected.

The Malta Republican Committee also endorsed Maggi Ruisi and John Hartzell for Town Council, Roger Crandall for highway superintendent, Steve Gottmann for town justice and Flo Sickels for town clerk.

SPA Democrat drops Bid

A Democratic candidate for Saratoga Springs supervisor dropped out of the race Friday, saying he wants to focus on his union activism. John Ellis, an Independence Party member who was endorsed by the Saratoga County Democratic Committee, said in a news release that working as a supervisor might “limit my ability to fight for working families and public employees” as a CSEA officer.

Saratoga County Democratic Committee Chairman Todd Kerner said in a statement he “would welcome [Ellis] to run for office in the future.”

The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee has not backed a replacement candidate, Chairman Charles Brown said. He added that it’s “pretty late” in the endorsement process, “But we will start the conversations back up.”

The other Democratic candidate is Peter Martin. The Republicans are running incumbent supervisor Matt Veitch and former city Finance Commissioner Ken Ivins.

On Friday, Kerner said Ellis announced the decision during a county committee meeting on Thursday night.

During that meeting, the committee endorsed Conservative Party candidate Phil Lindsey for sheriff.

“He came across as someone who is honest and has a background in law enforcement,” Kerner said of Lindsey, noting that the post doesn’t require a candidate whose political views completely match those of the Democratic Party.

“[Lindsey] wasn’t from the established Republican hierarchy that runs this county government,” he added.

The Democratic Committee didn’t endorse candidates for district attorney or county clerk, with no possible candidates formally interviewed for either position.

Independence Party

The Independence Party of Saratoga County announced endorsements this week for candidates throughout the county.

For countywide races, it endorsed Republican Craig Hayner for Saratoga County clerk and Michael Zurlo for county sheriff. Independence Party member and Ballston Supervisor Patti Southworth had planned to run for county clerk but withdrew from the race this week, party officials said.

In the town of Ballston, the third party endorsed Republican Patrick Ziegler for supervisor. Southworth had decided not to seek re-election when she planned to run for the clerk position.

The party also endorsed Highway Superintendent Joe Whalen and Town Board candidate John Antoski.

Here’s the rundown of some other Independence Party endorsements in Saratoga County:

u Saratoga Springs: Joanne Yepsen for mayor, John Franck for accounts commissioner, Michele Madigan for finance commissioner, Rick Wirth for public safety, Bill McTygue for public works, and Matt Veitch and Peter Martin for supervisor.

u Charlton: Alan Grattidge for supervisor, Joe Grasso and Mark Hodgkins for Town Board and Mike Emerich for highway superintendent.

u Clifton Park: Philip Barrett and Anita Daly for supervisor, Lynda Walowit and James Romano for Town Board, James Hughes for town justice and Pat O’Donnell for town clerk.

u Galway: Regina Doi for supervisor and David Costanzo for highway superintendent.

u Greenfield: Walt Chandler and Dan Pemrick for Town Board.

u Halfmoon: Kevin Tollisen for supervisor; Paul Hotaling, Walter Polak, Deanna Stephenson and Joseph Christopher for Town Board; Karen Pingelski for receiver of taxes, and Katherine Suchocki and Lester Wormuth for town justice.

u Mechanicville: James Peluso for mayor, Jodie Gilheany for finance commissioner and Mary Timpanaro for public safety commissioner.

u Milton: incumbents Daniel Lewza for supervisor and John Mancini and Frank Blaisdell for Town Board.

u Stillwater: Edward Kinowski for supervisor, Ralph Peluso and Ed Richardson for town justice, Sue Cunningham for clerk, Arthur Baker and Kenneth Petronis for Town Council, Anne Robyck for tax collector and Mark Minick for highway superintendent.