A new name is entering the running for Saratoga County Sheriff and some Republican leaders are taking issue.
Sheriff Michael Zurlo is not seeking reelection after five decades in law enforcement. The Republican endorsed his undersheriff Jeffrey Brown for the post.
Now, Saratoga County Deputy Sheriff PBA President Ryan Mahan is also running as a Republican and seeking the Democratic Party’s endorsement.
WAMC obtained documents showing Mahan applied to change his registration to run as Republican on February 6th.
Mahan says his campaign looks beyond partisan politics.
“I had been a registered Republican in the past. I’ve also been a no-party. And going into this whole election process, finding out how many coworkers I have, chairing and petitions, where my beliefs lie, I truly believe the best path for me was to go back to being a Republican and explain to people that I see the good in both sides I see the bad in both sides,” said Mahan.
Saratoga County Republican Committee Chair Joe Suhrada, who also serves as the County Republican Commissioner of Elections, says he hasn’t received confirmation that Mahan has even requested the swap. Suhrada calls the last-minute change “party raiding.”
“Ryan Mahan is a Democrat who the part bosses want to portray as a Republican so that he can run a Republican primary against an actual Republican Sheriff’s campaign, Undersheriff [Jeffrey] Brown. So, if he tries that he certainly is raiding the parties, he’s just changing to try to gain ballot access. Part of me as a chairman would like to put him up on party raiding charges which would include a civil trial. But, on the other hand, part of me would like to beat him 3-to-1 in a primary so I can give him a preview taste of what it’s going to be like in November,” said Suhrada.
Suhrada says party officials may consider calling on Mahan to further “question his sympathies.”
Saratoga County Democratic Committee Chair Martha Devaney denies Suhrada's claims that her party is pulling a trick.
"As you know we are in court in another matter. So, it's ironic to me that he would make that statement. Clearly, he's hung up on party and he's hung up on that being the priority. Whereas the Democratic Party is interested in serving voters in Saratoga County," said Devaney.
Devaney is referring to a special election last month for a Saratoga Springs city council seat that remains too close to call. Contested ballots that would the race for Public Works Commissioner are awaiting a decision from a Saratoga County state Supreme Court Judge. After parties disagreed on the election's timeline, the only name on the ballot was Republican Chuck Marshall, with interim Democratic commissioner Hank Kuczynski running a last-minute write-in campaign.
