To the Editor:

Now that the dust has settled from our recent Democratic caucus in Knox, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our town residents who attended and supported our choices for the upcoming November election.

The Democratic voters of the town of Knox have spoken and they’ve made it clear through their votes that they choose Supervisor Amy Pokorny, councilmen Brett Pulliam and Dan Hanley, town Clerk Tara Murphy, and town Justice Jean Gagnon — the other two were uncontested positions.

The numbers speak for themselves and, most importantly, the voters of Knox were given a choice and the democratic process worked properly and fairly.

I’d also like to clarify a few important issues about our current supervisor and the role he played in the caucus. He’d emphatically stated in the July 20 editor’s note that he was “not bringing in anyone to the Knox Democratic Caucus.” Yet that's exactly what he did when making every nomination for opposing votes from his GOP-endorsed ticket that he’d already secured.

About the only nomination that he didn’t make was the one for himself — he’d previously arranged for one of his people to take care of that. He tried to push through his agenda of not allowing anyone other than his choices for the November ballot and the voters of the town of Knox said no.

I believe that he also tried to pack the room with long-time Republicans and Conservatives whom, in my opinion, he coerced to change their enrollment to get his people in, and again the voters said no. He also appeared to quite literally randomly pick nominations from his attendees for the committee to fill vacancies simply to be contrary to the Democratic choices.

Let me say, his choices were clearly as surprised and taken aback by their nominations as any of us — hence the reason for an unexpected ballot circulation and vote. And, yet again, the voters said no to his spur-of-the moment schemes.

We live in this great town for a reason — we enjoy a rural lifestyle and a sense of community. We want our children to learn proper values and we treat one another with common courtesies and dignity.

I’d ask that the people of the town of Knox not let these core values be undermined by the big-city, loan-shark-type antics of our current supervisor. We’re a community made up of strong-willed, intelligent, good people — not a bunch of easily-duped hicks as our supervisor seems to believe.

In closing, I’d like to reiterate once again my sincere thanks to all of you for your support. You’ve bolstered the democratic process that has made our great country what it is.

As importantly, I’d also like to personally thank Mr. Matt Clyne, the Democratic commissioner of the Albany County Board of Elections, for attending our meeting. I’m not a professional politician and his advice and guidance on procedural issues that arose during the caucus were invaluable. Likewise, his kind words and encouragement were much appreciated as I waded through my first appointment as chairman.

That said, like in this recent caucus, I have every faith that in November our voters will make the right choices once again.

Eric Kuck, co-chair

Knox Democratic Committee

2017 Knox Democratic Caucus Chairman

Editor’s note: One of the Knox residents who changed his party enrollment from Conservative to Democratic a year-and-a-half ago, Ed Ackroyd, said he did it so he could go to a caucus — the local Conservative Party doesn’t have caucuses, he said — as he wanted to be part of the democratic process. He said no one coerced him.