GUILDERLAND — Luciano Alonzi says his recent firsthand experience as a Guilderland student gives him insights other board members may not have. At 22, he’s making his first run for school board.

He says he’s “seen the system from the inside.”

GUILDERLAND — Benjamin Goes says the best thing he’s ever done is volunteer with Guilderland High School’s E = mc2 program, helping students with individual projects. “It inspired me to be more involved with the schools and to find more ways to support students so I decided to run for school board,” he said.

In the midst of the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo softened election requirements; candidates now need to collect only 30 percent of the statutory threshold. Michelle Hinchey, a Democratic candidate for the state Senate’s 46th District, is challenging the petition her Democratic opponent for the nomination, Gary Greenberg, had submitted. Greenberg suggested that the challenge is emblematic of insider-versus-outsider politics.

On Saturday, New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, called on the State of New York to take steps to ensure eligible New York voters can take part in the scheduled April 28 Democratic presidential primary, as well as a handful of additional special elections around the state on that date, without risking the spread of the coronavi

On March 8, Gary Greenberg called for a change in petitioning after a Guilderland woman, an American citizen of Chinese descent who was circulating his nominating periton, was verbally assaulted.

A primary will allow Guilderland’s Democratic committee to “harness the energy of more and more Democrats,” committee Chairman Jacob Crawford said Monday night in explaining to the committee why he would be voting to change from a caucus system to a primary. 

Retired Guilderland teacher Timothy Horan had been elected vice president of the board last July. 

“It didn’t make sense to have two people with the same policy positions run against each other,” said Jeff Collins, explaining why he has ended his campaign to represent District 46 in the State Senate and will instead support fellow Democrat Michelle Hinchey.

“It was a half-hour of hell,” said Gary Greenberg of the sexual abuse he suffered at age 7, which led him to be an activist for the Child Victims Act. He’s now exploring a run for a seat in the senate he helped flip.

On Tuesday, residents of Berne and Knox will be able to vote for a fire commissioner in their respective fire districts. In Berne, Justin Crosier is seeking election, uncontested. In Knox, David Poole is seeking re-election, uncontested.