The Gardiner Democratic Party will hold its nominating caucus on Friday, July 14 starting at 7:00 pm and going on until all business is completed (estimated 8:30-9:00 adjournment). The business of the caucus is to decide who will represent the Democratic Party on the ballot on November 7 for local town positions. This is an opportunity for those registered as Democrats in the town of Gardiner to get directly involved in the democratic process.
Last month, the Gardiner Democratic Committee endorsed candidates for town offices whom it thought would best represent local Democratic values. Those candidates are:
- Lisa Lindsley for Town Supervisor
- David Dukler for Town Board
- Warren Wiegand for Town Board
- Robert Rich for Town Justice Court Judge
- Brian Stiscia for Highway Superintendent
- Michelle Mosher for Town Clerk
(The Committee also endorsed Tracey Bartels for re-election to the County Legislature. However, Tracey will gain access to the ballot not through the caucus, but through a petitioning process currently underway.)
The Committee-endorsed candidates do not automatically get on the ballot. They first must prevail at the July 14 Caucus. At the caucus, all candidates—those who have been endorsed by the Democratic Committee and those who have not been so endorsed—will have an opportunity to speak. After speeches, registered Gardiner Democrats in attendance will cast their ballots and the winners will get the party’s nomination and be placed on the Democratic line on the November ballot.
Any of the Committee-endorsed candidates could be challenged at the caucus by other Gardiner candidates wishing to get on the ballot. At this time, the Committee is only aware of one challenger to our endorsed candidates: Marybeth Majestic, the current Town Supervisor, is expected to challenge Lisa Lindsley for the Town Supervisor nomination. It is also expected that Ms. Majestic will seek the Republican nomination for Supervisor in 2017. Ms. Majestic, though a registered Democrat, ran and won on the Republican line in 2015.
Those who have attended the Gardiner Democratic Caucus in years past have been both impressed and excited to see, and be part of, the nuts-and-bolts of the (small-d) democratic process in action. At a time when that democratic process is being attacked at the national level by a hostile foreign power, we hope that Democrats will get “fired up” and participate in making that process a success right here in Gardiner!