Republicans don’t endorse candidate to run against Fred Miller

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2015 at 12:00 am

Fred Miller

ALBION – The Orleans County Republican Party Committee didn’t endorse a candidate to run against Fred Miller, the lone Democrat on the seven-member County Legislature.

Miller won an upset election in November 2013, defeating incumbent Henry Smith for a district that includes the towns of Albion and Gaines.

No candidates were nominated this evening to run against Miller, owner of Family Hardware in downtown Albion since 1986.

“I hear nothing bad about him from the other legislators,” said Ed Morgan, the Republican Party chairman. “He asks the right questions.”

Morgan said it isn’t unprecedented for the Republican Party not to run a candidate against an incumbent Democrat. For many years, Richard Bennett of Barre was unopposed as a Democrat on the Legislature.

Prior to being elected to the County Legislature, Miller served five years on the Village Board. Miller is the first resident from the village of Albion to serve on the Legislature in 30 years, despite Albion being the county seat.

Miller was endorsed by the Conservative Party in the 2013 election, but that party isn’t endorsing any of the incumbents this time. It has backed Paul Lauricella to run for legislator against Lynne Johnson.

The other six Republican legislators were all backed by the Republican Party for new two-terms. That team includes Legislature Chairman David Callard of Medina, John DeFilipps of Clarendon and Don Allport of Gaines for county-wide legislator positions; Ken DeRoller of Kendall for a district that includes the towns of Carlton, Murray and Kendall; Bill Eick of Shelby for a district that includes Clarendon, Barre and most of Shelby; and Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville for a district that includes Yates, Ridgeway and a small portion of Shelby.

The Republican Committee also endorsed Rocky Sidari, a former Albion fire chief, to serve as county coroner. He was appointed to the position in January, filling a vacancy created by Joe Fuller when he was elected Albion town justice.