SCHENECTADY COUNTY
GOP eyes two for sheriff run
Ex-city chief Moffett among those courted
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Schenectady County Republicans are courting two former police officers to be their candidate to succeed longtime Sheriff Harry Buffardi, who has said he will resign to become a professor at Schenectady County Community College.
Republicans are courting Michael Moffett, an excity police chief and currently an investigator with the state Department of Health. Moffett challenged Buffardi in 2006, losing by 10,000 votes.
Republicans also said Tom Constantine, a retired Niskayuna police officer, would give them a strong ticket and help them capture seats from Democrats on the county Legislature next year. Constantine’s father, also Tom, is a former head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and a former superintendent of the state police.
Neither Constantine nor Moffett were available for comment.
County Democrats said they are not worried about losing the sheriff’s seat, nor seats on the county Legislature. A Democrat has been sheriff for at least 18 years. In 2009, seven seats are in play on the county Legislature — six are held by Democrats and one by a Republican. Democrats currently have an 11-4 majority.
Buffardi, who has been sheriff for 10 years, said he will become a full-time assistant professor at Schenectady County Community College next year. He has not set a date for his resignation and is expected to begin teaching classes in criminal justice after Jan. 12. He has taught criminal justice part time at the college for 14 years, he said.
Once Buffardi resigns, Gov. David Paterson will set the date of a special election and will appoint an interim sheriff until then, local offi - cials said. If Buffardi resigns before Sept. 20, the election will be held in 2009; if later, then November 2010.
County Republican Chairman Tom Buchanan said Buffardi’s departure presents the party with an “overwhelming opportunity.”
If the election is held next year and Republicans are able to get a strong name to lead the ticket, they see the countywide sheriff’s race as winnable and also see an ability to come close if not overtake the Democrats on the county Legislature.
“You don’t get opportunities like this all the time,” Buchanan said.
County Democratic Committee Chairman Brian Quail said the party has started the process to fi nd a successor to Buffardi. “The committee will interview perspective candidates and ultimately make an endorsement for whatever special election the governor calls,” he said.
Quail said “There are a lot of people who have credentials” for the position. I am not going to speculate at this point because people who are interested will come forward.”
Quail said he remains confident a Democrat will retain the sheriff’s seat and that Democrats will also take the seat now held by Republican Joe Suhrada of Rotterdam. Suhrada’s term expires next year.
“While you can’t take anything for granted, our enrollment advantage is the highest ever,” Quail said. The Democratic enrollment went from 35 percent of the electorate in 2004 to 37 percent in 2008. Republican enrollment went from 33 percent to 30 percent during the same period. There are 35,854 Democrats versus 27,771 Republicans in the county, according to the county Board of Elections.
Still, Quail said, the sheriff’s race has the potential to be tight. “We have to run a stellar candidate whose credentials are beyond reproach. I believe our ................
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