Petition signature challenges happen all the time. One candidate trying to knock another off the ballot. Here in NY-03 it’s happening for the Democratic Primary and it’s not the usual challenge.
Rep. Tom Suozzi has two primary challengers this year, Melanie D’Arrigo and Micheal Weinstock. So here we are with challenges to both D’Arrigo and Weinstock.
At first you’d say “golly, that dang Tom Suozzi and the evil Dems want to knock both his challengers off the ballot ‘cause he’s scared.
NOT SO FAST!
Weinstock is being challenged by Dem Party hater, D’Arrigo supporter and angry wanna-be “progressive” candidate Joshua Sauberman and someone named Peter Johnson.
D’Arrigio is also being challenged by Peter Johnson.
Suozzi petitions are not being challanged.
Now you’d say… “Sauberman wants Weinstock off the ballot so his candidate D’Arrigo has a clearer field.” And you’d be right.
So why would Johnson challenge both Weinstock AND D’Arrigo? Does he want both knocked off so Suozzi has a clear field and no primary???
“YEAH THAT SOUNDS TRUE!!!!”, you’d say.
But wait… there’s more….
Peter Johnson isn’t a Suozzi loyalist.
Nope.
He’s the husband of D’Arrigo CAMPAIGN MANAGER Tracy Bacher.
WHAAAAAATTT??????????
Now why would the husband file petition challenges against his wife’s candidate???
That’s cray-cray.
Since they have different last names, the Weinstock objection won’t look like it’s the D’Arrigo campaign trying to kick candidates off the ballot. She can be shocked and appalled.
This way it looks like both Suozzi primary challengers are getting attacked. By Suozzi.
Now, objections can be dropped. I expect Johnson to drop his D’Arrigo petition objection before it’s reviewed. In the meantime for the media’s sake, people can speculate Suozzi is behind both objections. Of course pushed by D’Arrigo loyalists.
Undoubtedly both candidates would split the tiny anti-Souzzi vote. So one has to go. And D’Arrigo wants Weinstock gone while playing innocent “See, someone is challenging my petitions toooo!!”
Who in the D’Arrigo campaign thought his up and maybe thought they could get away with it? Was it D’Arrigo? Campaign Manager Bacher?
Someone needs to fess up to this. It’s really looking bad and desperate.
I’ll update when we get to the objection being dropped.