More news, notes and observations:
• There’s something “off” about politics around here.
Candidates are popping up everywhere, campaign strategizing is under way, and the usual low buzz of February is already loud.
Something is not right – elections are November affairs and we’re just past Groundhog Day.
It all stems from Albany’s new Democratic majority and the flurry of legislation streaming from the Capitol, including voting reforms that consolidate state and federal primaries in June.
Instead of primary voters casting their ballots on this year’s normal date of Sept. 10, mark your political calendar for new Primary Day on June 25. That means designating petitions hit the streets on Feb. 26, forcing Democrats and Republicans alike to begin the process now.
Hence, Legislator Lynne Dixon emerged last week as the Republican front-runner to challenge Democratic County Executive Mark Poloncarz, veteran Council Member David Franczyk announced his retirement, and politics shifted into high gear even though they just pulled that rodent from his Punxsutawney lair.
Some say all of this will drastically change the annual St. Patrick’s Day luncheon set for March 15 at the Buffalo Irish Center, when pols of all stripes parade around with sashes and candidate buttons (“just like Haile Selassie,” said the late luncheon co-founder Tom Blake). Some have even declared their candidacies…
