And So It Begins . . .

On February 7, Gossips reported that the local primary would be happening on June 25 instead of in September as has always been the case in the past. As a consequence, the whole election schedule is starting earlier than ever before. The process of gathering signatures on petitions begins in just a few days and ends in the first days of April. Today, the Hudson City Democratic Committee released the following call for candidates:

New York State has scheduled primaries for local elective office on June 25, and the Hudson City Democratic Committee will be looking at candidates much earlier than in prior years. The petitioning process begins this year on February 26 and concludes in early April. To be on a party line, including the Democratic line, candidates will need to collect valid signatures from 5 percent of the voters in that jurisdiction enrolled in that party. Those signature numbers will soon be posted on the Columbia County Board of Elections site. It is recommended that candidates gather approximately twice as many signatures as will be legally required.

In the next few weeks, the HCDC will be interviewing candidates seeking to be on the Democratic line, as part of its endorsement process. Endorsed candidates will receive support from the HCDC, including assistance with collecting signatures on petitions. To begin that process, the HCDC has posted a brief questionnaire for candidates on its website, hudsoncitydemocrats.org. We urge candidates, including incumbents, to complete a questionnaire at their earliest convenience so that we can schedule interviews early in the petitioning process. Please send completed questionnaires or any questions to info@hudsoncitydemocrats.org.