Wendel
KINGSTON – The Executive Committee of the Ulster County Conservative Party has withdrawn its endorsement of county comptroller candidate Michael Wendel of Wawarsing. He wants to challenge incumbent Democrat Elliott Auerbach.
County Conservative Chairman Ed Gaddy said when Wendel was backed, party leadership was unaware of his legal situation regarding Auerbach. Wendel is under a stay-away order from the comptroller and his family.
The contempt occurred when Wendel aggressively approached Auerbach in Wawarsing Town Hall in the Village of Ellenville. making statements of a harassing and taunting nature. He was sentenced to a year of probation in addition to the stay-away order.
“We can’t stop the man from running, but it means he doesn’t need to have our support,” said Gaddy. “We are relinquishing any support that the executive committee would give him.”
Wendel does not take that lightly.
“The committee, especially Ed Gaddy, betrayed and sabotaged my efforts to run for comptroller,” Wendel said. “Some believe that he wants it to be a one-man race and the only person he and the Republican Party want in office is the current comptroller, Elliott Auerbach.”
Wendel must garner a minimum of 129 signatures of registered Conservatives on petitions by July 13 for him to secure a ballot position.
Gaddy said just as in any other election, he would expect Wendel’s petitions to be scrutinized for validity.
