As Cayuga County's Democratic Party convenes tonight to nominate candidates for local elections this fall, they are faced with at least one dilemma - whom to nominate for mayor.

When party chair Katie Lacey canceled last week's long-planned meeting to nominate candidates, she made it clear that she was not supportive of the candidacy of current City Councilor David Dempsey, the sole official candidate in her party for mayor. Usually chairs are supportive of all candidates or, at worst, silent.

Lacey voiced publicly what many Democratic leaders have been saying behind the scenes for months: Dempsey will likely lose in a November matchup with Mayor Timothy C. Lattimore, a Republican. She rightly predicts that most of the focus in that race would be on their well publicized “Brawl at City Hall” and its aftermath, no matter how much each distances himself from it.

Independence Party secretary Frederick Farrell wondered if there could be a better mayoral candidate after his party's nomination of Dempsey. While both candidates have baggage coming into this year's election cycle, many political observers believe that Dempsey could use a Sherpa or two extra to help him haul his around.

By stating publicly what many Democrats are saying privately, Lacey has done two things. First she may have been sending out a call for any viable candidate within her party (maybe any party) to step forward.

Secondly, and more intriguing, is that she has made it clear, intentionally or not, that supporting Dempsey for mayor would put into question her leadership of local Democrats. Dempsey's printed response to her reasoning makes it clear that a victory for him, is a defeat for her.

So what happens if Democrats can't find another candidate by tonight? Some are suggesting that a vote be taken to nominate the two-term city councilor and, if he doesn't receive the majority of those present or submitting proxies, that the spot, at least for now, be left vacant and the search for a more viable candidate continue.

Lacey's supporters see one major flaw with this strategy: Is not supporting Dempsey, without a named substitute, a tacit endorsement of Lattimore? One of the reasons that some Democrats don't want Dempsey is that they believe that Lattimore must go and that anyone but Dempsey can beat him. Nominating the wrong candidate - or no candidate - does not help them achieve their goal of defeating him.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com