A visit to ponder

Day 1 on the formal campaign trail was hot and humid. But it was very successful. I met some great folks. I collected a fair number of signatures. Now, I’ve heard from a number of political experts that you shouldn’t spend a whole lot of time chatting with folks while collecting signatures for petitions. The focus needs to be on collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Generally, that’s true. I try to keep the conversations short and to the point.

However, there is one visit that took a bit longer. I knocked on a door, and it was answered by an older gentleman. Let’s call him “Joe,” (not his real name). Joe was a military veteran. He lived alone because his wife had recently passed away.

It was clear that Joe is still grieving. He and his late wife had enjoyed nearly 50 years of marriage. My heart ached when he showed me their wedding picture hanging on the wall. His voice never cracked. No tears could be seen in his eyes. But his love for his wife came through loud and clear.

Joe has no children and no family living nearby. It was apparent that he has some health issues and struggles with some of the routine home maintenance. I was worried. Some of those worries were relieved when he mentioned that his neighbors look in on him.

I asked if there was something I could do for him. It seemed that he was content just to have someone to engage in conversation.

Still, I’m concerned about him. I’m not entirely sure what more I can do for him. At a minimum, I hope to find time to just chat with him. In the meantime, “Joe” will be in my thoughts and prayers.

It’s a visit that I will ponder.

Lace Up the Sneakers

It’s time. Time to lace up the shoes. Time to grab a clipboard and pen. Time to take petitions and start knocking on doors.

This is the part of my campaign that I’ve been looking forward to. While many people cringe at the thought of knocking on doors to collect signatures, I’m eager for it to start. In the past two years, I’ve collected signatures to help a number of candidates get their names on the ballot. In the process, I’ve enjoyed meeting all sorts of people.

This year, I get to participate as a candidate myself. But I don’t expect to be alone in my travels across the district. My two boys will be tagging along on occasion. (We even plan on creating a sign to attach to the stroller.) Of course, there will be other candidates, committee members, and volunteers helping out across the county. To all of those who will help collect signatures for my campaign, I thank you in advance.

Time to load up the car. Time to drive a little, walk a lot. By the way, the car just turned over 195,500 miles today. Will I hit 200,000 by November? Might have to get a pedometer, too. It’d be interesting to see how many steps there really are in a political campaign.

It’s time!

Note: this post will also be published on my campaign blog.

A little publicity…

It’s buried fairly deep, but I did get a mention in a Marv Cermak story on the Times Union’s website. You have to click to find the mention on the second page:

Word has it party leaders [county Republicans] are considering endorsing Wade Abbott and Chris Tomaselli [as candidates for county legislature]. Abbott was one of the prime movers in the origination of the Tea Party movement in the Capital Region.

Certainly, I would be very grateful to receive the Republican endorsement. And I will strongly support Chris Tomaselli for whatever office he chooses to run. Chris is a good guy, just the candidate we need in local government.

The rest of the article provides interesting insight into local politics, too.

5/17/11, 11:00 PM update:

Looks like Chris will be sticking with his run for Rotterdam Town Board according to his Facebook page. I would certainly welcome him as a running mate for the county legislature positions, but I know he will do a lot of good in Rotterdam when elected to town board. He’s certainly got my support!

The Campaign Announcement

I know that it’s not exactly a secret. I am formally announcing my candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature representing Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown, NY.

Here’s the press release that I am currently sending out to various media outlets:

Wade Abbott Announces Candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature

ROTTERDAM, N.Y. – Wade Abbott, a registered Republican and an organizer of Tea Party rallies in 2009, announces his candidacy for Schenectady County Legislature, District 4. A formal announcement will take place in mid-March.

Abbott is pleased to accept the invitation of Brian McGarry, candidate for Rotterdam Town Supervisor, to join him on the No New Tax Party independent ballot line in November’s general election. “It is an honor to join Brian, a fiscal conservative and one of the founders of the No New Tax Party,” said Abbott. “I look forward to campaigning closely with all the No New Tax Party candidates to bring positive fiscal change to Schenectady County.”

Abbott also seeks the endorsement of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties. “These traditional parties play an important role in local politics, and I look forward to sharing my viewpoints with the various committees during the endorsement process,” said Abbott. “With the party endorsements and the formation of an independent ballot line, we can take a step toward moving our county government in the right direction.”

Schenectady County government must shift its focus away from spending policies that drive property taxes upward, sending residents out of state. “Now is the time to dramatically change the makeup of our county government in a way that will bring fiscal relief to county residents and the constituents in Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown.”

Wade Abbott and his wife Ellen have been married for 12 years and are the parents of two boys. Abbott is a graduate student and a blogger. He was an organizer for the successful 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party. He believes that it is time to bring a Citizen Legislator to Schenectady County and would be honored to represent Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown in that capacity.

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I look forward to the upcoming campaign. I am humbled by and appreciative of the support that I am receiving from volunteers and mentors.

In mid-March I expect to have a formal kickoff event and fundraiser. In the upcoming days I also expect to get a website up and running. More information on that down the road.

Unofficially – The Big Announcement

It’s time for This Ordinary Citizen to take the big step into the murky world of local politics.

It is my intention to run for local or county office in 2011.  Specifically which office has yet to be determined.

This has been a tough decision, and one about which I have discussed at length with my wife, friends, and other family members.

I plan to seek endorsements from the Republican, Conservative, and Independence parties.  Additionally, I hope to run on the “No New Tax Party” ballot line.

The No New Tax Party came into existence in Rotterdam, NY in 2009.  At that time, four candidates for local office did what few believed possible. They were able to add the No New Tax Party line to the local ballot.  The NNTP platform was one of conservative fiscal responsibility and an agreement not to vote for tax increases.  That’s a platform I thoroughly support!

This year, one of those candidates, Brian McGarry, is again running for Rotterdam Town Supervisor.  I look forward to campaigning with Brian and others on the No New Tax Party slate.  Brian has a fundraiser scheduled for January 20th, 6 PM at Canali’s Restaurant in Rotterdam.  (Check out Brian’s website for more details.)  I hope that many of you can attend.

Clearly, there are still a number of details the must be worked out before I can formally announce my candidacy.

In the meantime, I’ve got a lot of work to do… learn about campaign finance requirements, attend meetings, request endorsements, etc.

I will be asking for specific support down the road.  I hope to see many of you on the campaign trail.