"Mr. Schenectady," as James Tedisco is sometimes called, could be Mr. Lake Placid soon.
The Republican Party committee chairmen from the 10 counties in New York's 20th Congressional District met Tuesday morning and chose Assembly Minority Leader Tedisco as their official candidate for the seat Kirsten Gillibrand officially vacated Tuesday.
The decision was made by a weighted vote, with different county chairs having more or less say based on the percentages of the electorate who voted Republican in the 2008 congressional race in the district. Saratoga County, which has a third of the weighted vote, endorsed Tedisco.
"I was disappointed in that we didn't even have an opportunity to speak in front of all the chairmen," said state Sen. Betty Little of Queensbury. Little had announced she wanted the job on Friday, the day Gov. David Paterson picked Gillibrand to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton in the U.S. Senate.
State party Chairman Joseph Mondello said that, although all the candidates were "exceptionally talented, dedicated and qualified," there was an "overwhelming consensus" to pick Tedisco.
The Democrats have not yet chosen a candidate. Essex County Democratic Chairwoman Sue Montgomery Corey told the Enterprise Monday that the party chairs are reviewing 20 to 30 applications and will hold both telephone and in-person interviews before making a decision.
A special election will be held within 30 to 40 days of Gov. David Paterson calling one.
Little's state Senate district includes six North Country counties. Warren and Washington counties are entirely within the 20th Congressional District, and several Essex County towns, including North Elba and Keene, are in it as well. If all three counties supported her, she had at least 19 percent of the weighted vote.
"I'm still the senator," Little said. "I'll get back to work on all the major issues we have in the Adirondacks and the North Country."
A number of other candidates were mentioned, and Greene County, at least, announced it would back former Assembly Minority Leader and gubernatorial candidate John Faso.
Tedisco has been in the Assembly since 1982 and the minority leader since 2005. He lives in Schenectady, outside the 20th Congressional District, and his Assembly district covers much of Schenectady and Saratoga counties. His wife owns a home in Saratoga, inside the 20th.
He has already been endorsed by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.
"Jim Tedisco has been a true friend to hunters and gun owners, as he understands the crucial importance of safeguarding the right to bear arms," said Association President Tom King.
Tedisco was a vocal critic of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.
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Contact Nathan Brown at 891-2600 ext. 26 or nbrown@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
