Metroland Online - Features

(clockwise from top left) The whole country took notice when David Soares won a bitter race for Albany County district attorney, basing much of his campaign on opposition to the excesses of the Rockefeller Drug Laws; after getting no support from the Dems for a run against Assemblyman Bob Prentiss, Albany County Comptroller Mike Conners switched parties to the Republicans in order to run against state Sen. Neil Breslin. He didn’t win, but he did stir up a lot of discussion about the meaning of party loyalty versus stands on issues; also taking on a tough nut was Pam Joern, who ran for Columbia County Court judge against the infamous Paul Czajka. The election came down to absentee ballots, but Joern didn’t quite make it; Albany County Legislator Wanda Willingham (District 3) campaigned for her seat for a third time, during the do-over in April for the special election in March, scheduled after redistricting delayed the previous November’s county legislature elections. Amid accusations and counteraccusations surrounding absentee-ballot fraud, Willingham retained her seat; Margaret Walsh shook up the Albany Democratic establishment by winning the first-ever primary for Family Court judge. Her opponent was still on the ballot in the general election, but he stopped campaigning after the primary; telling us all what we already knew, perennially popular Attorney General Eliot Spitzer officially announced his run for governor in 2006.