GUILDERLAND — Remorse sits heavy but doesn’t right wrongs for Antonio Cortes.

The chairman of the stagnant Guilderland Republican Committee, Cortes, was arrested in Colonie on May 28 and charged with driving while intoxicated; his blood alcohol content was over .08 percent, according to the Colonie Police Department.

His position on the committee isn’t certain at this point, though he is full-speed ahead with goings-on for the party, he said.

Cortes told The Enterprise that he will meet with the Albany County Republican Committee chair, Peter Kermani, next Monday. They will discuss his situation and proceed with party logistics, like getting petitions ready for the next election, he said. Kermani didn’t return a phone call from The Enterprise yesterday.

Guilderland politics had been dominated by Republicans for over a century, but the GOP has not done well in recent elections. Although enrollment in town is about one-third Republicans, one-third Democrats, and one-third independents or small party, only one town post is still held by a Republican — the long-time highway superintendent.
There will be a decision on who will chair the committee "sometime in the following week," said Cortes. As far as who might step in to the position if Cortes resigns, he said, "The committee will make this decision."

Cortes became chairman of the Republican committee, from his previous post as vice chairman, when Jeffrey Perlee stepped down in 2003. The vice chairman position is currently empty.
"Right now, we are in the process of reorganizing," Cortes told The Enterprise on Wednesday. "We have maybe 20 active members in the committee." He said that the committee is trying to regroup and put things together for next year. "It’s not that we’re disorganized or not present," said Cortes. "We’re just doing other things."
Cortes will do some reorganizing in his personal life, too. After the arrest, he said, "I plan to do things differently." Asked if he had a history of drinking problems, Cortes said no. This was his first arrest, of which he said, "I’m ashamed."
Friends and fellow Republicans stand by him, though. "Tony is a friend who’s having troubled times," said Mike Donegan, who ran for Guilderland Town Board on the Republican ticket last year.
"Tony is a good and old friend," said Perlee, the former committee chairman. "He made a mistake as anyone could do." The two men both said that they support Cortes.
"I stand by him as a solid person and a solid citizen," Perlee said.

The Colonie Police Department said that Cortes was pulled over near Fuller Road and Cherry Street at 3:30 a.m. on May 28 when he failed to obey a traffic signal. Cortes said that his blood alcohol content was .09, one-tenth of a percent over the legal limit; the Colonie police said the BAC wasn’t listed but was over the .08 limit. The limit was reduced from .10 in 2003.
"I don’t want to downplay the incident," said Cortes. "I take responsibility."