Yesterday’s Formal Announcement

Yesterday evening was the formal announcement for my campaign for Schenectady County Legislature. It was also my first fundraiser. I had the privilege of joining Brian McGarry, candidate for Rotterdam Town Supervisor and James Longo, candidate for Rotterdam Highway Superintendent as local candidates for public office.

I am grateful for everybody who showed up, for everybody who donated to my campaign! In this economy, money is tight for the vast majority of us. I wish I could better express the extent of my gratitude.  Often though, the most important words are the simplest. To all of my supporters:

Thank you!

Political campaigns cost money. As a brand new candidate for public office, I am becoming well aware of that fact. Too often, we see cases where political campaign funds were not spent wisely. That will not be the case in this campaign. I will spend campaign funds with great care. I am a firm believer in being efficient and careful with money, especially money that has been donated.

Asking for money for a political campaign is not easy. It shouldn’t be. The donations made to my campaign reinforce the seriousness of it. Each penny is a token of trust, a sign that the donor believes that I will spend it wisely, and ultimately, an indication that they believe I will be a good representative. I take that responsibility very seriously.

Onward…

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.

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