Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Maury Thompson, Special to The Chronicle
Dylan Hewitt, who has suspended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Congress, said one of the factors was an expected challenge of his nominating petitions by rival Democratic candidate Blake Genedebien.
Mr. Hewitt said he and campaign volunteers had collected more than enough signatures on nominating petitions to get on the ballot for the June 23 primary, and he was confident the signatures were valid.
But he said he recently learned that Mr. Gendebien’s campaign planned to challenge his petitions.
Mr. Hewitt said he did not have sufficient campaign funds to hire lawyers to defend him in the petition challenge and still meet other campaign expenses.
“Campaigns are expensive, and the math just did not add up,” he said in a telephone interview on March 28.
Mr. Gendebien had not returned email and voice mail messages on Friday, Saturday and Sunday seeking comment.
Mr. Hewitt attributed his exit decision to limited campaign funds, in general.
The former White House trade adviser from Glens Falls had $119,936 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31.
Mr. Gendebien, a dairy farmer from Lisbon, in St. Lawrence County, had $2.21 million, according to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Was Mr. Hewitt pressured to drop out of the race. “I have gotten my fair share of messages suggesting that,” he replied.
“Not by me, and not from anyone that I have heard from,” said Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher when asked.
She said the Warren County Democratic Committee had authorized members to circulate nominating petitions for either candidate, or both, she said.
Mr. Hewitt, as of Saturday, said he had no plans to endorse Mr. Gendebien.
He said he will attend congressional forums and debates, and continue, as an audience participant, to pressure Mr. Gendebien to move to the left, particularly on immigration enforcement issues.
Mrs. Boecher said Mr. Gendebien needs to make inroads with Mr. Hewitt’s supporters.
She said, “Blake needs to reach out. …And I would urge him to reach out to Dylan’s supporters.…Listen to them.”
Hewitt also exits the Working Families line
In ending his effort to win the Democratic nomination for the NY-21 seat in Congress, Dylan Hewitt tells The Chronicle that he had secured enough signatures to be on the Working Families Party line on the November General Election ballot, but that he has informed them he is not running.
A mechanism in the petitioning process allows the Working Families committee to endorse another candidate if they choose. Party representatives did not return The Chronicle’s request for comment by press time. — Cathy DeDe
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