Schenectady County Republicans call for McGarry's seat to be filled by widow

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FILE - Schenectady County Legislator Brian McGarry attends a 2018 meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C.

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ROTTERDAM — A pair of Republican conference members on the Schenectady County Legislature are calling on their Democratic colleagues to appoint the widow of Brian McGarry to fill the seat left vacant by the longtime lawmaker’s death earlier this month.

Conference members Eric Hess and Josh Cuomo, both District 4 representatives, issued a joint press release last week, calling on the Legislature to recognize “widow succession” and appoint Patricia McGarry to fill her husband’s seat.

The term is set to expire Dec. 31, 2023.

“There is no one in Schenectady County, and certainly no one in District 4, that can carry on the legacy of Brian McGarry, better than his wife Patty,” Hess said in a statement.

Brian McGarry represented District 4 since 2013, which includes the village of Delanson and towns of Duanesburg, Princetown and Rotterdam, where he lived. At times, he was the only Republican in the Legislature.

A beloved public figure, McGarry was a teacher in the Duanesburg Central School District before entering politics, where he was remembered by his colleagues as a respected lawmaker willing to fight for what he believed, in order to better the community after his Aug. 18 death following a lengthy battle of cancer.

The release goes on to say that Patricia McGarry’s appointment to the board would have no impact on the voting majority held by Democrats, who currently hold 11 of the Legislature’s 15 available seats.

Hess is currently the only Republican that sits on the board. Cuomo, a Conservative, conferences with the Republican minority, while Peter Frisoni, a District 3 representative, is a registered Conservative.

But the process to fill a vacant seat on the Legislature is more complicated than simply appointing someone.

According to the county charter, a special meeting must be called within 45 days of the vacancy, giving lawmakers until Oct. 2 to fill the seat. The meeting must be publicized 10 days in advance.

During the meeting, the lawmakers will nominate and vote on someone to fill the remainder of the term. If multiple individuals are nominated and there is no clear majority, the person with the least amount of votes will be eliminated and voting will continue until just one candidate remains.

It remains unclear when the meeting will be called and who lawmakers might nominate.

Anthony Jasenski, the chair of the Legislature, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

But Erin Roberts, a county spokesperson, said details about the meeting are still being finalized and an announcement is expected soon.

Meanwhile, Cuomo said Patricia McGarry is the only logical successor to fill her late husband’s seat.

“To fill the seat with any other person would be shameful,” he said. “Absolutely no one has represented the conservative ideology more effectively than Brian, and his wife has been by his side since the first day he became a legislator, it only makes sense that she would fill his seat.”

The Schenectady County Legislature will reconvene for its monthly committee meetings on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.

Contact reporter Chad Arnold at: [email protected] Follow him on Twitter: @ChadGArnold.