You Never Know What May Happen Next in Politics

The headline is true of many situations in politics where slates of candidates are made up, and then others come in and convince people to change the original slate of candidates. 

That was true of this years opposition slate to the current 80th Assembly District members slate. The best chance for candidates was not to challenge the strong incumbent Assemblywoman, but go after a first time incumbent Male District Leader and an open Female District Leader seat. Along with them would be a slate of Judicial Delegates, a Judge candidate, Congressional candidate, and some County Committee members, but no candidate for member of Assembly for the 80th A.D.

  Everything was going as planned, The slate was in place and signatures were being collected on the first day allowable February 25th. Then on March 3rd a deed was found for 2500 Williamsbridge Road sold to CHI LLC. Carnegie Hill Institute a drug rehab center looking for a site in the East Bronx, which the community was told that a proposed deal for Carnegie Hill Institute to buy 2500 Wlliamsbridge Road in October was dead at a Town Hall meeting in November. 

  A rally was called for on March 7th to be held at 2500 Williamsbridge Road against the sale of the building to Carnegie Hill Institute. Two days before the rally a petition (to be known as BX 2000245) appeared in the 80th A.D. with the same candidates, plus the Female District Leader candidate in the position of member of Assembly 80th A.D. There was a different petition for the 82nd A.D. with candidates for Assembly and District Leaders, and the same judge and congressional candidates as the 80th A.D. petition. There was a separate petition for member of the 34th State Senate district which had to be filed in Albany because the state senate district covers Bronx and Westchester Counties.

  Covid-19 was spreading after the rally, and one week later Governor Cuomo made an announcement that he was ending the petition process March 17th at 5 PM. He also said that he was cutting the number of signatures to thirty percent. 

  It should be noted that this reporter was on the original slate of candidates against the current assemblywoman' slate as a Judicial Delegate, and not on Petition BX 2000245 that has a candidate against the current assemblywoman. There are two challenges to petition BX 2000245, including one by this reporter who is not on that petition. 

Above - The last day to collect signatures was March 17, 2020, so why is the date 3/20/2020 under the date 3/16/2020 ?

Below - Lines one and two are the same signature.