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2011 Campaign "Dirty Tricks"
This entry was posted on November 25, 2011 10:10 AM and is filed under 2011 Campaign.
[The following was submitted by Joe Derwin, chair of the Harrison Democratic Committee]
I read a recent Harrison Patch article and the accompanying reader comments regarding a last minute robocall in connection with the Mark Jaffe campaign. No one was more surprised than I when I received a call from candidate Dan Brakewood's wife telling me of the call. Being in the midst of Election Day work, I had not checked my home voice mail messages from the previous day. But, even I had received the call. In any case, I would just like to make sure that there is no confusion about the Harrison committee's positions.
For the record: At a Special Meeting on May 24, 2011, the Harrison Democratic Committee voted to endorse Frank Acocella for County Legislator by a near unanimous vote. All candidates were given the opportunity to address the committee. As prescribed by rule, all district leaders were either present or had given their proxy to an attendee. I forget the exact date, but sometime later in June as designating petitions were being circulated for signature, Mr. Acocella withdrew his name from consideration. He even provided an explanation to the media. Following Mr. Acocella's decision, the committee never met for the purpose of formally endorsing anyone else. The committee chose to wait for the results of the September 13th Democratic Primary, necessitated by Mr. Jaffe's ballot line challenge. In fact, at the September 8th meeting, Mr. Jaffe and Mr. Brakewood addressed the committee. Even after Mr. Brakewood won the primary, the committee did not endorse anyone. However, although there was nothing formal, the committee threw its support behind Mr. Brakewood, the Democratic candidate. In informal discussions I had with them, Democratic district leaders felt his professional and public service experience clearly made him the best candidate.
From then forward, Mr. Brakewood was invited to and attended Harrison committee meetings. He participated in Harrison campaign discussions at those meetings. During the campaign, Mr. Brakewood kept in contact with the committee. The committee offered its campaign headquarters for his use, and even provided Harrison voter information to him. Putting aside Mr. Terenzi's "favorite son" comment in the Patch article, in my view, there was never any question following the primary whom the Harrison committee supported for the Board of Legislators seat.
If people are looking to blame anyone for "dirty tricks," they should not look to the Harrison committee for the guilty party. The particulars suggested in the Patch article may or may not have merit. I know that I do not have any better insight into who made the robocall than the hypotheses made by the Patch or those commenting. Whether it was the Republicans, Mr. Jaffe, or someone else, we will probably never know. And, in my view, it made no difference anyway. The bottom line is: Mr. Gelfarb won. The Harrison committee congratulates him and all the candidates who won, as well as all those who did not. The committee wishes the winners only the greatest success in providing responsible, transparent government to those they represent.
As for my personal view, the 2011 election is over. It is time for elected Democrats to get ready to go to work January 1st, and for the rest of us to turn attention to the business of the 2012 election and beyond. That is what I suggest to everyone and what I plan to do.
Joe Derwin
Chair, Harrison Democratic Committee
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