Ouch! What a pounding candidates endorsed by Boss Tom Wade took in Rensselaer County in the September 9 primaries.
There was the 43rd Senate race between Wade's pick Brian Premo and Saratoga's Mike Russo. Russo absolutely steamrolled Premo in Rensselaer County, winning 2580 to 1945, a margin of more than 600; Russo beat Premo in Troy and Rensselaer and won 12 out of the 14 towns. It was worse for Premo in Saratoga County, where he got mauled.
What's especially crushing is that Wade was actively backing Premo right up to the end. No, actually, what's more crushing is the fact that many of Wade's enemies, including M. Lynne Mahoney, openly backed Russo.
Wade and Premo also got embarrassed in the Working Families Primary for the 43rd, losing to Chris Consuello. Wade and Premo did everything in their power to let the world know Consuello – an actual registered Working Families member unlike Premo – was a GOP plant. None of that mattered, as Consuello rolled to another victory, staying undefeated.
Wade had also been lending support to Paul Tonko in the 21st Congressional District primary. While Tonko won the primary, he lost by a substantial margin in Rensselaer County to Tracey Brooks. Once again, some Democratic rivals to Wade openly backed Brooks.
With the GOP primaries playing out as expected and Roy McDonald and Jim Buhrmaster rolling easily in the 43rd Senate and 21st Congressional races, respectively, the real interest and speculation falls on the Democratic side. When a party chairman like Wade shows he has no muscle or ability to round up his own party to back nominated candidates like Premo, how long does that person get to continue as Chairman?
The answer may come in a week or so, when Democrats get together to decide leadership of their fractured party. You can beat there was speculation at the noisy victory party for Russo on Primary Day. More on this in the days to come.
There was the 43rd Senate race between Wade's pick Brian Premo and Saratoga's Mike Russo. Russo absolutely steamrolled Premo in Rensselaer County, winning 2580 to 1945, a margin of more than 600; Russo beat Premo in Troy and Rensselaer and won 12 out of the 14 towns. It was worse for Premo in Saratoga County, where he got mauled.
What's especially crushing is that Wade was actively backing Premo right up to the end. No, actually, what's more crushing is the fact that many of Wade's enemies, including M. Lynne Mahoney, openly backed Russo.
Wade and Premo also got embarrassed in the Working Families Primary for the 43rd, losing to Chris Consuello. Wade and Premo did everything in their power to let the world know Consuello – an actual registered Working Families member unlike Premo – was a GOP plant. None of that mattered, as Consuello rolled to another victory, staying undefeated.
Wade had also been lending support to Paul Tonko in the 21st Congressional District primary. While Tonko won the primary, he lost by a substantial margin in Rensselaer County to Tracey Brooks. Once again, some Democratic rivals to Wade openly backed Brooks.
With the GOP primaries playing out as expected and Roy McDonald and Jim Buhrmaster rolling easily in the 43rd Senate and 21st Congressional races, respectively, the real interest and speculation falls on the Democratic side. When a party chairman like Wade shows he has no muscle or ability to round up his own party to back nominated candidates like Premo, how long does that person get to continue as Chairman?
The answer may come in a week or so, when Democrats get together to decide leadership of their fractured party. You can beat there was speculation at the noisy victory party for Russo on Primary Day. More on this in the days to come.
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