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Sunday, June 23, 2019

Ballston GOP members endorse Connolly, Curtiss and Solberg


Ballston Republican Committee members speak out against GOP mudslinging by Szczpaniak and Goslin and endorse their challengers Connolly, Curtiss and Solberg in the June 25th Republican Primary.

A schism is taking hold of the Republican committee in Ballston as some members openly criticized the current smear campaign targeting Republican challengers. Breaking away from the committee chair, Sarah Wood, a growing number of committee members are coming forward to complain about the lack of focus on relevant issues, lawbreaking and lost lawsuits against Town Supervisor Tim Szczepaniak and Council Member Bill Goslin.  It is rumored more members have spoken out behind the scenes threatening to make their stories public as well.

Below are two recent letters to residents from Ballston Republican Committee members.

          The mud-slinging by the Ballston Republican Committee in the primary campaign for town supervisor and council so disappointing.  We see this kind of behavior at the national level – it is appalling that it would occur in our own town.  It is demonstrative of why so many people stay out of politics.  The primary challenge by Eric Connolly, Peter Solsburg, and Chuck Curtiss is the result of the town board’s recent actions that violated state law in agricultural district #2.  Chuck was on the board at the time and he, along with Republican John Antoski, voted against the measure, but was overruled by the Republican incumbents.  Note that the state sued and won in an appeal.  The challengers and their supporters know that in 2022, district 2 could be recast and valuable farmland could be pulled out for development. The primary campaign should have centered on a dialogue around this issue – whether Ballston wants to develop farmland – but instead, the establishment has engaged in smearing the challengers, who are well-respected members of our town and community.  What is frustrating is that the incumbents are respectable people who are better than this – and even more frustrating is the fact that there has been no meaningful discussion of the issues.  The incumbents turned down an invitation to debate the issues, to the detriment of the voters.

-Lisa Donovan
Town of Ballston Republican Committee Member


It’s time for a change in Ballston.

My wife Katie and I have been residents of the Town for 23 years, and I’ve been a member of the Town Republican committee for the last three.  I’m supporting Connolly, Curtiss and Solberg because I believe it’s time for fresh leadership in our town, and I know these gentlemen will bring conservative principles, integrity, energy, a fresh perspective and inclusiveness in their respective roles.

Ballston has been a divided town for too long.  I think these three offer us an opportunity to come together and work toward a future with sustainable growth while maintaining our rural character as much as possible.  

Peter Solberg was endorsed by our committee this year and Chuck Curtiss had been endorsed in 2015.  I find it disappointing to see them being attacked now by the party leadership, along with the negative tone of the overall campaign against them.   I believe that incumbent candidates should run on their record rather than try to tear down their opponents. And I am disappointed that our leadership chose to decline an invitation to debate the issues.  

Tim Szczepaniak and Bill Goslin are nice guys, but our town has had too many lawsuits against it, and too many residents who feel that their voices are not being listened to, during their time in office.  As a conservative Republican, and as a committeeman, I don’t advocate for turning out incumbents without a good reason, and without strong alternatives.  It’s my opinion that Ballston Republicans are justified in making a change this year.

-Jim Fischer
Town of Ballston Republican Committee Member    

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