Last night, progressive Madelyn Thorne (D - Schenectady) sailed to an easy victory in the Democratic primary for the 49th State Senate District long represented by Hugh Farley (R - Niskayuna). Thorne, a retired pastoral care worker, bested former Ballston Town Supervisor Patti Southworth (D) by an almost 2 to 1 margin, carrying all five counties that are either fully or partially contained within the sprawling Upstate district which stretches from the eastern Mohawk Valley into the heart of the Adirondack Park.
In a bold victory for Upstate progressives, Thorne's platform of pushing for women's equality, raising the minimum wage and enacting campaign finance reform clearly had more resonance with 49th District primary voters than that of Patti Southworth, who campaigned as a moderate-to-conservative "Blue Dog" Democrat, running in opposition to the common core and SAFE Act gun control legislation passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
From the Albany Times Union, September 10, 2014:
"Democrat Madelyn Thorne of Schenectady cruised to a primary election win over former Ballston Supervisor Patti Southworth on Tuesday and will face Republican state Sen. Hugh Farley in a rematch in November."
"Thorne rode heavy party support and was leading Southworth 3,390 to 1,595 with 61 percent of the vote reported late Tuesday, according to unofficial results. She thanked voters and election workers at her campaign headquarters on Erie Boulevard for another chance to capture the state's 49th Senate District seat."
""I'm so grateful for the overwhelming support that we've received throughout this campaign, especially the voters of the 49th who have placed their confidence in me," Thorne said."
The big question now is whether Thorne can carry her strong momentum forward to a surprise upset victory this November. Long-time incumbent Republican State Senator Hugh Farley, once thought to be an indestructible force, has generated some controversy over his past term in office
over his support of legislation that would make it easier for loan sharks to exploit low income borrowers after receiving about $15,000 in campaign contributions from the industry.
So far, though, coming off a strong primary victory coupled with the support of many area veteran Democratic politicians, including Albany-area Congressman Paul Tonko and Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen, Madelyn Thorne certainly appears to be laying the groundwork for a competitive race this Fall.