A rally was held in Saratoga Springs Wednesday night that was originally planned to counter an appearance by a controversial conservative activist in the neighboring community of Wilton. Some were trying to tie the cancelled event to candidates for elected office in the Spa City.
A Wilton event featuring MAGA activist Scott Presler and promoted on Twitter by Representative Elise Stefanik was canceled earlier this week amid outcry from progressives and county Democratic leaders across the 21st Congressional District.
Presler, a polished pro-Trump activist with a large social media following, tours the country encouraging Republican voter enrollment. Ahead of the planned August 25th event at Gavin Park, outcry spread over the organizer’s past involvement with ACT! For America and his hand in organizing of “March Against Sharia Law” rallies. Groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center have classified ACT! For America, founded in 2007, as a hate group for its pushing of anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.
After the event with Presler was cancelled by the Saratoga County Republican Committee, County GOP Chair Carl Zeilman, who also serves as the Saratoga County Commissioner of Emergency Services, emailed a statement to WAMC that reads:
“The local Democrat outrage to our grassroots voter registration drive is really about the National Democrat party imploding in front of our eyes and local Democrats looking for any other distraction to talk about other than their own failed policies that have brought our country into a crisis. They are threatened by Republicans’ historic support in Upstate and all of America. A staffer with RISE PAC tested positive for Covid and they will no longer be coming to Saratoga County. We will be meeting to door knock as was planned and continue to register Republicans at a 2-1 advantage in NY-21 over the Democrats.”
Wednesday night, a counter-demonstration continued as planned in Saratoga Springs.
Organized by progressive activist and former Democratic 112th State Assembly District candidate Joe Seeman, the “No to Hate in Upstate” rally drew a few dozen people to Congress Park.
“The people of Saratoga County are not OK with hate, with an anti-Muslim hate-monger,” said Seeman, a Ballston Spa resident. “We’re not OK with attacks on democracy with the January 6th insurrection…”
Two of three declared Saratoga Springs mayoral candidates attended the event.
City Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton, who is running an independent campaign for mayor, left the Republican Party in February.
“The reason I left the Republican Party is because their core values no longer align with my core values, and I think that’s perfectly reflected in someone like Scott,” said Dalton.
Democrat Ron Kim, a former city Public Safety Commissioner, issued a statement Tuesday ahead of the planned Scott Presler event asking Republican-endorsed candidates, including fellow mayoral hopeful Heidi Owen West, to speak out against Presler’s appearance.
“I think all Saratogians should be denouncing what Scott Presler stands for, whether you’re a council candidate or you’re just a regular Joe Six Pack. And I’m sad to here that. I understand none of the Republican candidates have said a word about this,” said Kim.
Dalton, Kim, and West are all seeking to fill the seat being vacated by outgoing Democratic Mayor Meg Kelly this fall.
West, a local business owner, responded to questions from WAMC ahead of Wednesday’s counter-demonstration. Saying she was out of town at a trade show, West said she wasn’t aware of the rally, and added:
“I know many others running for local office want to nationalize this race or demonize others. That’s not who I am or who I have ever been. I’m running for Mayor of Saratoga Springs. I’m focused on what is going to help unite our city, what’s going to help improve our public safety, protecting our amazing recreational opportunities and protecting and promoting our fantastic economy.”
West, who has the endorsement of the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee, was also asked via text message if the event featuring Scott Presler and endorsed by Representative Stefanik gave her any pause, and if she believed President Biden won the 2020 election fair and square.
The owner of three downtown clothing stores responded:
“If the other candidates running for mayor want to nationalize this race, that’s fine. But that’s not what I’m doing in my race. Those questions, and this event, have nothing to do with accomplishing my goals I’ve set out to achieve once I become mayor of Saratoga Springs,” said West.
The chair of the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee used similar language, claiming local Democrats were trying to nationalize city politics.
In an email to WAMC, City GOP Chair Chris Obstarczyk said his organization did not have a hand in organizing or promoting the cancelled Presler appearance. His email continues…
“While the City Democrat candidates are trying to nationalize this local election, our united Republican team is running on local issues that actually matter to Saratogians: strong public safety, supporting and promoting our economy and small businesses and continuing to help residents during the Covid recovery.”
Upon Dalton’s exit from the Republican Party in February, Obstarczyk then said the one-term city councilor was “too focused on national politics.”
Dalton said Wednesday the county GOP felt similarly.
“The county Republican party often criticized me for bringing national issues into local politics. And so I find it so ironic that they were doing this, because that’s exactly what they’ve done here. They brought national politics right into the backyard of local politics. And so it’s totally natural and normal to be asking our candidates how they feel about the election, when Stop the Steal is one of the things that Scott Presler talks about the most,” said Dalton.
Counter-rally organizer Seeman pointed out the Saratoga County GOP promoted a bus trip to former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6th, which Presler also attended and promoted.
“They encouraged people, they organized to help busloads of people go to Washington on January 6th to support Trump’s Big Lie claiming that he won the election, which led to that cop-killing riot. So the Saratoga GOP are all in on it. They are all in on the big lie,” said Seeman.
Meantime, another scheduled appearance by Presler, set for next week at the Saratoga Wilton Elks Club and organized by the Upstate Conservative Coalition group, has been cancelled.
A press release issued by the Saratoga-Wilton Elks reads in part:
“Without going into specific criticisms of Mr. Presler and certain controversial beliefs espoused by him, the Saratoga-Wilton Elks hold that such beliefs advocated by Mr. Presler are contrary to one or more of the cardinal principles of our Order. Our Lodge has therefore respectfully communicated to the Upstate Conservative Coalition that Scott Presler is not welcome on our premises.”
