GUILDERLAND — While Guilderland’s Democratic committee has unanimously endorsed its slate for town elections in November, the Republicans are searching for committee leadership.

The Democrats are circulating petitions for Supervisor Peter Barber, Town Clerk Lynne Buchanan, and Councilwoman Amanda Beedle, all incumbents, as well as for Kevin McDonald for town board and Christine Napierski for town justice.

Meanwhile, the Republican committee is holding a meeting on March 12 to find leadership, according to Mark Grimm, a long-time Republican county legislator, who is organizing the event.

The former GOP committee chairman, Douglas Breakell, left the post about a year ago, he told The Enterprise this week, because he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Kevin Waltz then assumed the leadership role. Waltz was defeated last November in his run against longtime incumbent Congressman Paul Tonko, who kept his seat with over 60 percent of the vote.

“Our chair has resigned recently,” said Grimm, adding that Waltz plans to move out of town.

Two years ago and four years ago, the Guilderland GOP put up candidates for town board and justice posts but not a full slate.

“It’s been tough,” said Grimm.

Asked about comments made recently to The Enterprise by Jim McGaughan, Albany County’s Republican committee chairman, who said the party locally is “energized” with more engagement and more contributions because of Trump’s win, Grimm said, “It cuts both ways with Trump.

He went on, “It wasn’t just Trump; it was the Senate and House too.” He also said Democrats outnumber Republicans, two to one in Guilderland.

Among Guilderland’s roughly 26,000 registered voters, there are about 11,000 Democrats and about 6,000 Republicans but there are also about 7,000 voters not enrolled in a party, with the rest in small parties.

“I have to get elected with a lot of Democrats’ votes …,” said Grimm, referencing the years he has spent building trust. “It’s really about hard work.”

Grimm hopes Republicans come to the March 12 meeting ready to work and will gauge their interest.

Grimm concluded of bipartisan elections, “Competition is good for everyone.”

Democrats

Unlike in recent elections, the Democrats in Guilderland appear united this year and the committee’s chairman, Dustin Reidy, a county legislator, anticipates no primary challenges.

Reidy added, “You never know until the petitions are in,” which is in early April.

Four candidates were interviewed for the town justice post, Reidy says. Guilderland has three justices — all Democrats — and Denise Randall, the longest serving, is retiring from the post.

Three people were interviewed for the town board position, Reidy said, and, while all of the candidates were strong, he said, the vote was unanimous for the selected slate.

Choices were not so unanimous among Guilderland Democrats in the recent past.

Former Guilderland judge Richard Sherwood was suspended from his post on Feb. 23, 2018, the day he was arrested — he later pleaded guilty to grand larceny — and fourteen candidates applied to fill his vacant seat.

The town board, which had four Democrats and one Republican at that time, unanimously appointed Napierski, a Democrat. But the Guilderland Democratic Committee decided not to back Napierski the next November but instead backed Bryan Clenahan, who had been one of the 14 candidates who initially sought the post.

Clenahan is Denise Randall’s son-in-law; he is still a town justice.

Napierski then unsuccessfully challenged the caucus process in court, lost at the caucus by 21 votes, and pushed for a change to a primary system, which the Democratic Committee ultimately adopted. She subsequently lost the election for town justice on a small-party line.

At the Democrats’ first-ever primary, in June 2021, the Democrats sent a mixed message in a four-way race for two spots on the town board where the key issue was development.

Napierski, one of a pair of challengers to the Democratic Committee’s two picks, came in first with 26 percent of the vote. Her running mate, Kevin McDonald, came in last with 21 percent. McDonald, a newcomer to politics, was among the Westmere residents who brought an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit trying to stop Pyramid projects in his neighborhood.

Incumbent Paul Pastore — who was backed by the committee — was ousted with 24 percent of the vote while his running mate, Amanda Beedle, came in second, securing the Democratic line for that November, with 25 percent of the vote.

Beedle and Napierski then campaigned together and both handily won seats on the town board, besting two Republican newcomers.

Asked why she switched course from the town board to run now for town justice, Napierski told The Enterprise this week, “It was a very sudden decision. I didn’t think there’d be an opportunity for me to run again.”

But, when she learned of Randall’s retirement, Napierski, after much back and forth with herself “ultimately decided it was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.”

She said her heart feels heavy leaving the town board and she hopes she “made a positive impact” but she called her experience of being town judge for seven months “very special” and concluded that, as a lawyer for 30 years, she has always admired judges.

“It’s always been close to my heart,” said Napierski.

Supervisor Barber was unchallenged in 2021 and again in 2023. He is seeking a sixth two-year term this November. Buchanan also has a two-year term.

The town board had drafted two ballot measures for last November’s election that would have let voters decide, separately, if the supervisor’s and clerk’s terms should be extended to four years.

However, the paperwork wasn’t submitted in time so the current two-year terms remain.

Beedle and McDonald are both running for four-year terms.

The posts for justice and town board are part-time while the posts for supervisor and clerk are full-time.

“Our town clearly is in good hands with our current elected officials,” said Reidy of the Democrats backing the incumbents, which he termed “an easy call.”

He described Beedle as having “a very successful first term” and called her “incredibly energetic.”

He pointed to McDonald’s service on the town’s zoning board as well as his union leadership roles in his work for the Albany Police Department.

“Guilderland, much like Albany County, is a union town,” said Reidy.

Reidy said he was optimistic about victory in November.

“I’m proud of everyone we endorsed,” he said.

Reidy also said, “Individuals are a greater sum than the parts.”