NEWBURGH – A challenge to keep former Newburgh City Councilwoman Gay Lee off the Democratic Party primary election ballot next month has been rejected.
The Orange County Board of Elections had ruled her petitions were invalid since 69 people signed them stating they lived at different Newburgh addresses from where they registered.
Lee appealed to State Supreme Court and Justice Catherine Bartlett rule
she could remain on the ballot. That decision was appealed by Orange County
and on Wednesday, the Appellate Division, Second Department, of State
Supreme Court sided with Bartlett and said Lee could run, pitting her
against fellow Democrat Torrance Harvey, the former councilman appointed
after Mayor Judy Kennedy died last April.
Lee said she has the experience to run for mayor and without her on the ballot, the community would have been disenfranchised.
“With me I understand what it is like to be an executive; I understand what it’s like to be a taxpayer; and God knows I understand what it’s like to be poor,” she said after the appellate court ruling. “My income two years ago was $18,000. The only thing that I didn’t have that many people have is disenfranchisement. But poverty, I was right there. So I get it on all levels.”
Lee alleged the Democratic hierarchy in Orange County wanted her off the ballot. Regardless of the outcome of the primary, Lee will appear on the Independence Party and Reform Party lines in the November general election.
Harvey will also appear on the Working Families Party line in the general election in November.
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