The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

An enthusiastic Clinton County Democratic Party Chairman Martin Mannix spoke to a Town of Peru Democratic Party meeting on Thursday, April 16^th at St. Augustine’s Parish Center. Noting President Barrack Obama’s election and the fact that a Democrat carried overwhelmingly Republican Essex County in the recent Congressional Special Election Mannix said,  “I think it is a great time to be a Democrat in the State of New York and in Clinton County. Times are changing.” Newly elected Peru Democratic Party Chairman and Town Counselor Brandy McDonald noted the increasing attendance at party meetings (twenty-one people were present at this meeting) and spoke about the opportunity to elect Democrats in the Town of Peru in the 2009 elections. If Cortland Forrence follows through on his intention to resign from the Town Board, seven of the eight elected positions in the Town of Peru will be voted on in the upcoming election. Long-time Town Justice Peter Keenan has announced that this is his last year in office. McDonald said three Democrats have expressed interest in running for the town council including Jim Douglas who served on the Town of AuSable Town Board for twenty years before moving to Peru. McDonald hopes to have a full slate of candidates in time for the party’s July caucus.

Martin Mannix said that Democrats seeking office should seek third party endorsements. He said almost 30% of today’s voters are registered as independents or members of smaller parties such as the Working Families Party or the Independence Party. He believes that President Obama’s campaign revolutionized elections.  Noting that people no longer rely solely on newspapers and television, he said, “What has changed is there is so much more information out there for the people. President Obama has rewritten the textbook on how to run a national campaign using the internet.” Mannix explained that the internet enabled the President to bypass the traditional Democratic party structure and to go directly to millions of people.

Mannix touched briefly on campaign funding and the huge amount of money it takes to fund a county-wide campaign calling the amount of money a campaign costs “obscene.” He said William Meconi spent $50,000 to $60,0000 in the recent Family Court election trying to unseat Judge Timothy Lawliss and Judge Lawliss’s campaign cost over $100,000. Mannix estimated District Attorney Wiley’s campaign cost about $78,000. He said anyone desiring to run for the state senate or assembly has to have access to at least $25,000 before the state party will express any interest. If a candidate’s financial resources are proven the state party will conduct a poll to determine if the candidate has sufficient name recognition before committing the state party to any campaign funding.