Letters to the Editor – Courtney DeLeonardis

Saratoga Springs Democratic Chair Otis Maxwell recently sent a letter to all the Democrats and No Party registrants who signed the One Saratoga petition last spring to get our endorsed candidates on the ballot for the November city election. The letter was crafted by Gordon Boyd and Hank Kuczynski.  The letter used the one piece of accurate information, that Elise Stefanik had sent a contribution to one of the endorsed candidates, to assert that One Saratoga had been taken over by some Maga faction of the local Republican Party.  

Both Boyd and Kuczynski know that One Saratoga Chair Courtney DeLeonardis is a lifelong Democrat who chaired the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. They also know that almost all the members of One Saratoga are Democrats and were Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee members.  This includes former Democratic Executive Committee member Jay Partridge and former Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen, as well as former Democratic Deputy Mayor Joe Ogden. Jane Weihe; another member chaired the Democratic city committee for over a decade, chaired the Saratoga County Democratic Committee, was a member of the New York State Democratic Committee, a delegate to a Democratic Presidential Nominating Convention, and twice a Democratic candidate for city office. To claim that these individuals are now pawns of the Republican Party is absurd.

The extreme example of disinformation represented by Maxwell’s letter is emblematic as to why One Saratoga was established.  The members of One Saratoga seek to offer the citizens of Saratoga a balanced ticket and an alternative to the toxic environment that has infected both national and local politics.  One Saratoga focuses entirely on city politics.  We believe that whatever people’s differences are on the national issues that so bitterly divide our country, people of goodwill from all political persuasions can come together around how to better govern our city.  One Saratoga believes deeply that the way a party campaigns will define the way it will govern.  Saratoga Springs is a gem. It is our hope that the voters will share our vision and will provide our candidates the privilege of serving in the next elected Council.

 -Courtney DeLeonardis

Chair One Saratoga