SamPratt.com

In the last Hudson election, voters were given relatively few choices by the major party committees. Many incumbents ran unopposed, and many of the contested races occurred with only minimal public discussion and debate.

With no mayoral race on the ballot, turnouts for major contests such as the Council President race were unusually low—about half that of each of the previous five cycles. But this time around, it appears that voters may actually have some choices—both between the party nominees, and also in some primaries.

As already reported here, the Hudson Democrats are endorsing Nick Haddad and Sarah Sterling for Mayor and Council President, respectively. Many now expect the Republicans to run a ticket of Bill Hallenbeck and Bart Delaney for those offices.

In the 1st Ward, at least three Democrats (maybe more) will be vying for two Alderman slots—Tim Rogers, Larissa Parks, and Geeta Cheddie—and the Republicans may find at least one candidate of their own. Ditto in the 5th Ward, with three Democrats rumored to be running: Paul Beaumont, Bob Donahue and Cappy Pierro.

In the 3rd Ward, Democrat Chris Wagoner will seek a third term as Alderman, on a ticket with attorney John Friedman, with Ellen Thurston running for Supervisor. Mike O’Hara will challenge incumbent John Musall for 1st Ward Supervisor in a Democratic primary.

Though several incumbents in the remaining wards appear vulnerable to challenges, it remains to be seen if other party nominees or independent candidates emerge.

In this site’s opinion, contested primaries (in September) and general elections (in November) are good for democracy. Those already in positions of power will invariably rail against such competition—typically invoking expectations of “party loyalty” to whip others back into place. But it should be remembered that with or without party committee backing, anyone can run for office.

All it requires is to prepare petitions carefully, secure the necessary signatures, and file them in a timely way. If more candidates in a party file petitions for an office than there are slots open, that party committee can’t spend money on its endorsees until after the primary. So the playing field is more level than many assume, with the candidates who work hardest to reach the voters directly having the best chance of winning.

And that goes for all towns, not just Hudson.