Councilman will pass petitions to run for Albion supervisor

ALBION – Albion Town Councilman Matt Passarell said he will run for town supervisor under the Republican Party line by seeking support from the rank-and-file party faithful, rather than relying on the party leaders.

The Albion Republican Committee last week opted against endorsing a candidate for town supervisor. The committee interviewed Passarell and Town Councilman Jake Olles, but decided against formally backing either one.

Passarell said he will pursue the petition process to secure the Republican line. He would need a minimum of 5 percent of the 1,375 registered Republicans in Albion to sign his petitions for town supervisor. That would be a minimum of 69 valid signatures.

“I will be a candidate,” Passarell said.

The state Board of Elections hasn’t established a deadline for those petitions to be due, but they typically need to be filed by mid-July.

Town Supervisor Dennis Stirk, a Democrat, isn’t seeking re-election. Passarell and Olles both are interested in the position.

The Republican committee welcomes other candidates to come forward to interview for the position leading the town government, said Dawn Allen, the GOP chairwoman. Albion has until May 16 to make an endorsement for someone to run under the party line in November.

If the committee bypasses Passarell and endorses someone else, he would set up a September primary if he submits petitions with enough signatures.

The committee did endorse two candidates for Town Board: Richard Remley, a former owner of a printing company in Albion, and Todd Sargent, a village of Albion Department of Public Works employee.