Sidonio ran an admirable campaign in Murray

Editor:

Believe me, the “pillars” of the republican establishment in the Town of Murray breathed a deep sigh of relief after their 70 carefully solicited absentee ballots were counted following election day in November.  Joe Sidonio and his upstart candidacy came up 6 votes short in what may well have been the most admirable political campaign in Town of Murray history.

The “pillars” may want to maintain a posture of vigilance, as my suspicion is that Joe Sidonio is not going away.

Unfortunately for those who may be even more convinced than ever that they invented “clever”, Sidonio’s message and base of support is rock solid. His campaign wasn’t based on “fake news”.  Rather, his courage inspired a town to dream of returning government to its people.

Due entirely to the fact that Murray has no functioning Democratic committee, Sidonio was unable to receive a Democratic cross endorsement (which I favored). Keep in mind that a literal handful of additional votes from those who mistakenly view all politicians as the same (they aren’t) might very well have secured Sidonio an election victory for the history books.

Having a “C” and an “I” beside his name on the ballot were not enough for Joe to overcome the absence of the coveted “R”.  That “R” has made it possible for a handful of Orleans County “leaders” to do all manner of things that Orleans County residents may eventually come to regret.

But, how can the establishment claim victory in Murray? Fortunately for him, victorious County Judge candidate Sandy Church didn’t need to carry Murray.  From what I hear, though he won fairly convincingly Countywide with an “R” beside his name, Church and his opponent, Democrat and Conservative Party endorsed Tonia Ettinger, finished in a tie in the Republican County Chairman’s hometown! You may need to re-read that one.

One thing is clear to me. Joe Sidonio is serious about serving the interests of the people in Murray. He didn’t need the money. He didn’t need to bring the grief upon his family.

Be thankful for those who try.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion