Clinton County sets special election for vacant Area 3 seat after split vote

The Clinton County Legislature approved a resolution on Jan. 24, 2018 to establish a special election for the vacant Area 3 legislative seat after debate over appointments and timing.

Legislator Patty Waldron told colleagues the special election was the one thing the Legislature was able to agree on after extensive conversations. Legislator Mark Dame said he was pleased colleagues supported "simple democracy" and added he hoped the Legislature would not face the same situation again. Legislator Jonathan Beach asked staff to explore a local law that would remove the option of appointment for future vacancies. Legislator Simon Conroy warned that if the special election were held in March it might not give Area 3 residents enough time to find candidates and said some residents might prefer waiting until the November election; he nonetheless described a March special election as a potentially healthy contest.

Legislator Robert Hall said he was not opposed to special elections in principle but opposed the measure in this instance and voted no. The motion carried 8-1-0 with Hall voting against the resolution. The resolution's title in the record is "Establishing Date for Special Election for Legislative Area 3," but the transcript does not specify the exact election date.