The Working Families Party

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2007 CONTACT: Nicki Weiner (518) 694-2065 Karen Scharff (518) 755-2269 WFP Endorses Candidates for Local Office Endorsements of Manning for Watervliet Mayor and Zalewski for Troy City Council are party’s top priorities this cycle

The Working Families Party (WFP) has endorsed 123 candidates for local offices in the Capital District.

The WFP ballot line is much-coveted this year. “The WFP endorsement is like a seal of approval that says, ‘this candidate has pledged to fight for the issues that matter most to low-income, working and middle-class New Yorkers – good jobs, good schools and good government,’” said Karen Scharff, co-chair of the Capital District WFP Chapter.

The WFP’s endorsement process is issues-based. “The WFP endorses candidates based on members' evaluations of their record of accomplishment and positions on the issues that matter most to working families,” said Tom Comanzo, co-chair of the Capital District WFP. The Chapter prioritized living wage jobs, green jobs & clean energy initiatives, and workforce development.

The endorsement process involves the WFP’s grassroots members in the candidate screening process. “Over the last two months, nearly 200 candidates completed our issue questionnaire, and more than 75 members conducted the in-person interviews to make 123 endorsements,” said Scharff.

The local Chapter is particularly excited about its two earliest endorsements, of Mike Manning for Mayor of Watervliet and Ken Zalewski for Troy City Council. Manning, who was endorsed by the WFP in his 2005 run for City Council, has brought a lot of change to the City of Watervliet as a council member and looks forward to bringing this same level of commitment to the City if elected Mayor.

Ken Zalewski, candidate for Troy City Council, will bring energy and vision to the City of Troy. The WFP, which is running Zalewski's field campaign, is excited about the work Zalewsi has been doing within the community, most recently as a visible proponent of the WFPs local efforts to bring integrity to City government in Troy.

The WFP did not endorse candidates in every district. “In elections where members were unable to recommend a single candidate as preferable as an advocate for the WFP's issue agenda, no endorsement was made,” said Comanzo.

A list of endorsed candidates for local offices follows below: Michael Breslin Albany County Executive Patricia Slavick Albany County Comptroller George Infante Albany County Legislature District 1 Lucille McKnight Albany County Legislature District 2 Norma Chapman Albany County Legislature District 5 Christopher Burke Albany County Legislature District 6 Doug Bullock Albany County Legislature District 8 Daniel McCoy Albany County Legislature District 10 Gary Domalewicz Albany County Legislature District 11 Bill Clay Albany County Legislature District 13 Raymond Joyce Albany County Legislature District 14 Phillip Steck Albany County Legislature District 15 Sean Ward Albany County Legislature District 17 Shawn Morse Albany County Legislature District 18 Timothy Nichols Albany County Legislature District 20 Ryan Horstmyer Albany County Legislature District 25 Richard Gross Albany County Legislature District 26 Richard Jacobson Albany County Legislature District 27 Allen Maikels Albany County Legislature District 30 William Aylward Albany County Legislature District 31 Howard Shafer Albany County Legislature District 36 Kevin Crosier Albany County Legislature District 39

Victor LaPlante Rensselaerville Town Justice Town of Rensselaerville Jeffry Pine Assessor Town of Rensselaerville Marie Dermody Board Member Town of Rensselaerville Gary Chase Board Member Michael Manning City of Watervliet Mayor City of Watervliet Council Charlie Diamond Member Paula Mahan Town of Colonie Supervisor Town of Colonie Board Robert Becker Member

County of Columbia District Eugene Keeler Attorney County of Columbia Carol Sacks Treasurer

Staley Keith Columbia County Supervisor Hudson

George Davis County of Columbia Coroner

Linda Gabaccia Town of Copake Supervisor Town of Copake Council Carl Ritchie Member Town of Kinderhook Doug McGivney Supervisor Kimberly Pinkowski Town of Kinderhook Clerk Town of Kinderhook Board Peter Bujanow Member Town of Kinderhook Board Francis McKearin Member Town of Stuyvesant Lee Jamison Supervisor Town of Stuyvesant Board Rosalind Gumaer Member Town of Stuyvesant Board Marilyn Burch Member Darcy Poppey New Lebanon Town Justice Cheryl Roberts Austerlitz Town Justice Russ Immarigeon Hillsdale Town Justice Lyle Shook Hudson City Alderperson District 1

Town of Johnsburg Council Ronald Vanselow Member

County of Rensselaer District Richard McNally Attorney James Conroy City of Troy Mayor

John Brown City of Troy Council Member At-large

Clemente Campana City of Troy Council Member At-large

Marge Der Gurahian City of Troy Council Member At-large

Victor DeBonis City of Troy Council Member District 1

Mary Sweeney City of Troy Council Member District 2

Peter Ryan City of Troy Council Member District 3

William Dunne City of Troy Council Member District 4 Ken Zalewski City of Troy Council Member District 5

Gary Galuski City of Troy Council Member District 6 Town of Brunswick Town Jean Howard Clerk Town of Brunswick Vito Grasso Supervisor Town of Brunswick Council Susan Haynes Member Town of Brunswick Council James Brearton Member

Marilyn Douglas Town of Hoosick Supervisor Town of Hoosick Council Robert Ryan Member Michael Roland Town of Nassau Supervisor Town of Nassau Council Susan Hains Member Town of Nassau Council Fred Nuffer Member Town of North Greenbush Mark Premo Highway Superintendent Town of North Greenbush Josephine Ashworth Council Member Town of North Greenbush Brian Dwyer Council Member Christine Kronau Town of Sand Lake Clerk Town of Sand Lake William Reinhardt Supervisor Town of Sand Lake Council Burton Rounds Member Town of Sand Lake Council Raymond Turner Member Town of Sand Lake Receiver Barbara Bittig of Taxes Paul Mac Naughton Pittstown Town Justice

Matt Sousa Saratoga County Coroner City of Mechanicville Thomas Richardson Supervisor City of Mechanicville Salvatore Izzo Commissioner of Finance City of Mechanicville Stacie Salvi Commissioner of Accounts City of Saratoga Springs John Franck Commissioner of Accounts City of Saratoga Springs Jane Weihe Commissioner of Finance City of Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Ronald Kim Safety City of Saratoga Springs Cheryl Keyrouze Supervisor City of Saratoga Springs Joanne Yepsen Supervisor Town of Clifton Park Arthur Vandervoort Supervisor Theresa Izzo Town of Clifton Park Clerk

Robert Rybak Town of Clifton Park Justice Town of Clifton Park Council Nancy Bellamy Member Town of Clifton Park Council Margaret Catellier Member Preston Jenkins Town of Moreau Supervisor Town of Moreau Board Gina LeClair Member Town of Stillwater Gregory Connors Supervisor

Patti Southworth Town of Ballston Supervisor Town of Ballston Council George Seymour Member Cynthia Young Town of Malta Town of Greenfield Board Lisa Kosek Member Town of Milton Board Margaret Stevens Member Jeffrey Hartnett Town of Halfmoon Justice

Brian Stratton City of Schenectady Mayor Schenectady County Michael Petta Legislature District 1 Schenectady County Vincent Dicerbo Legislature District 1 Schenectady County Gary Hughes Legislature District 2 Schenectady County William Chapman Legislature District 3 Schenectady County Paul Webster Legislature District 3 Schenectady County Robert Godlewski Legislature District 4 Schenectady County Anthony Jasenski Legislature District 4 City of Schenectady Joseph Allen Common Council City of Schenectady Margaret King Common Council City of Schenectady Thomas Della Sala Common Council City of Schenectady Denise Brucker Common Council Helen Kopke Town of Niskayuna Clerk Stephen Swinton Town of Niskayuna Justice Town of Niskayuna Council Liz Kasper Member Town of Niskayuna Council Julie McDonnell Member Town of Rotterdam William Cooke Supervisor Town of Rotterdam Council Richard Leet Member Town of Rotterdam Council John Silva Member Town of Princetown Council Rose Norkus Member Carol Dillon Glenville Town Justice Camille Siano Enders Schoharie Town Justice