GUILDERLAND — After nearly a decade of serving the town, Bryan M. Clenahan was appointed Monday night to represent Westmere in the Albany County Legislature.

Filling the unexpired term of Legislator Dennis Feeney, who moved into a new home off of Old State Road and out of District 30, Clenahan will seek the position permanently this fall in his first-ever public election.

In his run for the Democrat-dominated legislature, Clenahan has the endorsements of the Democratic, Independence, and Conservative parties, and says that, with his extensive experience of local issues, he is ready to work on those same issues on the county level.
"I’m very excited about it," Clenahan told The Enterprise. "I am looking forward to continuing my work on issues in the town on the county level."

Clenahan is ending his second session with the New York State Senate where he works as deputy counsel to the Democratic minority.

His responsibilities at the state capitol include reviewing and drafting legislation and proposals; researching and reviewing statutes, case law, position papers, and opinions; and advising senators and senate committees.
"I like it"It’s fun to be involved in all of these issues," said Clenahan. "With the new governor just in, there is a lot of stuff going on."

The workers’ compensation bill was one of the major issues he worked on during the 2007 session, Clenahan said.

Sending a résumé to the Albany County committee, Clenahan was nominated to fill in for Feeney’s term, and, in May, the Westmere Democratic committee voted to have him run for their district in the fall. Clenahan was the only nomination for the position.

Aside from working in the State Senate, Clenahan is a prosecutor for the town of Guilderland. He also chaired the zoning board of appeals for two years, served as a zoning board member for three years, and was the board’s counsel.

Clenahan started in town as an environmental advisory committee member.

With this background on Guilderland boards, Clenahan says he will be able to effectively legislate for his constituents.
"I will be working on the kinds of things that I have in past on the zoning and environmental advisory boards," Clenahan said. "These are the kinds of things that I’m familiar with and that people care about in Westmere — things like good neighborhood development, traffic issues, and safety."

Westmere was the site of the first heavy suburban development in Guilderland. The busy and commercially-saturated Route 20 runs through Westmere and Crossgates Mall is in its backyard. The New York State Thruway divides Westmere from neighboring McKownville.
"More work on these traffic and safety issues need to be addressed in the county legislature," said Clenahan.

All politics is local

Clenahan has been interested in law and politics for most of his life.
"I think I wanted to get into law since high school," Clenahan said. "I thought it was a good way to make a difference"and politics was just another natural step in that direction.
"I know there is cynicism about politics, but it’s still a great way to directly serve the community," said Clenahan.

After graduating from The Albany Academy in the spring of 1989, Clenahan went to Middlebury College in Vermont and majored in history and political science. He graduated cum laude in 1993 before going to Albany Law School where his graduated cum laude in 1996.

Clenahan was admitted into the New York State Bar in January of 1997.

Being in his 30s, Clenahan is one of the youngest members of the county’s legislature, but some of his colleagues are quick to point out that his résumé extends far beyond his years.
"He’s got a lot of experience on the town level and he lives in a growing area of town," said David Bosworth, co-chairman of the Albany County Democratic Party and chair of the Guilderland Democratic Committee.
"He’s been one of the young people who have been very active and enthusiastic in the community"People are very fond of him; he’s someone who can cultivate positive responses from people," Bosworth said. "He will bring a new face and new ideas to the legislature. A lot of other people don’t really have the experience he does."

Bosworth, who is also a Guilderland councilman, says that Clenahan reflects the area he is representing.
"Bryan is going to be an advocate for all people who live in growing and developing areas," he said. "He has been a very forceful advocate on issues like traffic safety. Here in town, we have a traffic safety committee"but we’d like to see something like this on the county level."
Bosworth said that Clenahan is "the perfect candidate" to help with such issues in the county legislature.
"I think Bryan became very tuned into these issues while he was working on the zoning board," Bosworth added.

County politics

Clenahan is very active in the county’s Democratic party as a committee member, and he has also volunteered for the Independence Party in the past.
"I think the county party is in a strong position for the fall elections," Clenahan told The Enterprise of Democrats. "People are very happy how its being run."

Praising the work of County Executive Michael Breslin, a Democrat, Clenahan also lauded Guilderland’s supervisor, Kenneth Runion, and the rest of the town’s all-Democratic board.

Recent tensions and disagreements in the county’s Democratic Party are over, said Clenahan, following last fall’s contested election between Bosworth and co-chair Frank Commisso.

The original election of Commisso was invalidated by a state Supreme Court judge following a lawsuit from Bosworth supporters. The contested election has been viewed by many as an ongoing suburban-urban power struggle within the party.
"I think since the co-chairmanship has been in place, the party has been run very well," said Clenahan. "Democrats are trying to make good government first, aside from these town and city disagreements."
Clenahan added, "A lot of these divisive issues have decreased in the last few months."

Growing up and living in Westmere, Clenahan said he is honored to now represent Westmere in the Albany County Legislature. Clenahan is unmarried, but described himself as being in a long-term relationship.
"I want to make it clear that, for anyone who has any questions or concerns, that I am here," Clenahan concluded. "The real goal is to be as available and accessible as possible. That’s what it’s really all about."