GOP primary possible in challenge to Woerner's Assembly seat - The Post Star
A Republican primary appears to be shaping up for the nomination to challenge Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, in the new 113th Assembly District.
"I expect a primary," said Glens Falls Republican Chairman Michael Borgos.
If the primary materializes, it will be between David Catalfamo, who lost to Woerner in 2020, and Michael York, who Republican operatives blocked from challenging Catalfamo in a primary in 2020.
The state Board of Elections disqualified York's nominating petitions in 2020 based on a challenge to his petitions that York said was mailed from the same address as the state Republican Committee offices.
This time around, he has support from at least one county Republican committee in the Assembly district.
The Warren County Republican Committee, with only Glens Falls members voting, unanimously endorsed York, a real estate agent from Saratoga Springs, for the nomination, Borgos said Friday.
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Glens Falls is the only municipality in Warren County that is in the Assembly district.
The Saratoga County Republican Committee on Friday announced its endorsement of David Catalfamo, an economic development official and novelist from Wilton.
The Washington County Republican Committee, the third and final committee in the endorsement process, is scheduled to interview candidates on Thursday.
York said he had not intended to run again until about a week ago, when a Republican leader contacted him about the party not having a candidate to challenge Woerner.
"Nobody had any clue who was running for the Assembly district. That really shocked me," he said.
Catalfamo said in a telephone interview Friday that he is "definitely honored to have support of the Saratoga County committee."
Catalfamo said he will decide definitively in a few days if he will run.
He and his wife have a new baby and must weigh the time commitment a campaign would take.
"It's a tough decision … and I'm honored to be part of the process," he said.
York said that he is in the race regardless of what Catalfamo decides.
"I expect there will be a push for a primary," he said.
Woerner, a four-term incumbent, has consistently won in a Republican-leaning district, drawing support from the agriculture, small business and horse racing industries.
Woerner's closest race was in 2014, when she received 52.3 percent of the vote.
She received 60 percent of the vote in 2016, 56.3 percent in 2018 and 55.2 percent in 2020, according to the state Board of Elections.
York said to win the Assembly race, Republicans must reach out to pockets of disenfranchised voters who are concerned about single issues, such as the right to exemptions from government mandates for medical reasons.
After redistricting, the new 113th District still generally leans Republican in voting patterns, but less so.
In the new district, Republican Marc Molinaro received 50.2% percent of the vote in the governor's race in 2018, 4.2 percentage points less than in the old district, according to the state Board of Elections.
Woerner had $95,544 in her re-election campaign fund, as of Jan. 16, according to the state Board of Elections.
Catalfamo had $880 in his campaign fund, left over from the 2020 election.
York had not yet opened a campaign fund, as of the most recent reporting date.
In other endorsements:
- The Warren County Republican Committee, with only Glens Falls and Queensbury members voting, endorsed Liz Lemery Joy, a former blogger and speaker from Schenectady, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, in the new 20th Congressional District, which includes Glens Falls, Queensbury, Moreau and Wilton.
- The Saratoga County Republican Committee endorsed Joy in the 20th District, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, for re-election in the new 21st Congressional District.
- The Stefanik campaign announced on Saturday that she now has unanimous endorsements from Warren, Saratoga, Clinton, Franklin, Herkimer, Fulton, Jefferson, Hamilton and Oneida counties.
- The Saratoga County Republican Committee endorsed state Daphne Jordan, R-Halfmoon, for re-election in the new 46th Senate District, Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, for re-election in the new 47th Senate District, and state Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Brant Lake, in the new 114th District.
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