With Albany Democrat Gabriella Romero advancing in her run for New York State Assembly, who will take her seat on the Albany Common Council?
Romero, who represents the sixth ward on the Albany Common Council, declared victory in the June 25th Democratic primary for New York's 109th state Assembly District. The public defender took about 30 percent of the vote in the six-way contest.
"I am so humbled and so excited and just so full of pride and excitement for my district," said Romero.
The 109th District includes the City of Albany the towns of Guilderland and New Scotland.
In the race to replace Democratic incumbent Assemblymember Pat Fahy, Romero will face Republican Alicia Purdy in November.
Assuming Romero goes on to win the general election this fall, Albany Common Council President Corey Ellis says there is protocol for naming her successor.
“Yes, according to our city charter, if there's a vacancy on the city council, the mayor gets to appoint the open seat. So the mayor would appoint someone to fill out her remaining term in office,” Ellis said.
In 2019, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan named Sonia Frederick as First ward councilor after choosing Dorcey Applyrs to serve as city auditor. That shuffle began when City Auditor Sue Rizzo was elected Albany County Comptroller. Sheehan’s chief of staff David Galin tells WAMC "there will be time for the Mayor to consider potential successors to any elected office that becomes vacant.”
Ellis says the next election for Romero's council seat would take place in 2025. Romero tells WAMC there's a "large influx" of people interested in running for her council seat.
In the recent primary, Fahy had endorsed second-place finisher Ginnie Farrell, an Albany Common Councilor and a former staffer.
Now, as Fahy runs for state Senate, hoping to replace retiring longtime Senator Neil Breslin, a fellow Democrat, she is rolling out the welcome mat for Romero.
"I'm a Democrat," Fahy said. "I will absolutely work with Gabriella Romero. She worked hard to win that race, and of course, I'm going to work with her, as I will work with any Democrat or Republican, actually, to represent the 109th district that I have now, or the 46th senate district. For many years as an assembly member, I overlapped in Guilderland and New Scotland. Overlapped with George Amedore. We had a terrific working relationship. He was a Republican. I'm a Democrat, and I said it to him from the moment he was elected. He came in two years after I did in 2014 and I said,’ when it comes to the district, we're not going to miss a beat,’ and that's how we worked for the entire time that he was in the State Senate. It is exactly the way I'm going to work with any candidate when it comes to the 109th assembly district, or in the future, what I hope will be the 46th Senate District.”
Albany Common Councilors make about $20,000 a year in the part-time role.
