While current and former officials of the Cayuga County Democratic Party failed in their efforts to get mayoral candidate David Dempsey off the ballot, the 2007 campaign continues on.

Round 4 is quietly in progress and no matter what the outcome of the September Democratic primary, it is likely that there will be a three-way race for mayor in November.

The man that Democratic Party leaders say is their endorsed candidate, former Auburn Fire Chief Michael Quill, has his supporters circulating petitions to get an independent line for this November's ballot.

This is different from the Independence Party line Dempsey secured back in June. This is traditionally considered to be a “third line” by political insiders #- separate from having multiple endorsements from the Democratic and Republican parties and second tier parties such as the Conservatives, Independence and/or Right to Life.

This line, if filed for and not successfully challenged, would give Quill another line going into November. Republican incumbent Mayor Timothy C. Lattimore has secured both the Republican and Conservative lines without a challenge. Since Dempsey's Independence Party petitions were not invalidated, voters will have multiple choices this November, even if Quill beats Dempsey in September.

Going after an independent line is not a bad idea, especially when in a close race. It allows voters the option of casting their vote on a line other than the Democrat or Republican line. Believe it or not there are still those who are Democrats or Republicans who will not vote for a candidate on the line of the opposing party, but will drop down a line or two and vote for the candidate on an independent line.

In a tight election, every vote could count. Remember that in 1999, the race for mayor came down to 66 absentee votes.

And it is labor intensive. Quill must submit petitions with at least 5 percent of all the city's registered voters, no matter whether they have a party affiliation or not, by Tuesday, Aug. 21. What makes his task all the more difficult is that Democratic Party members who have already signed or passed petitions for him, for the most part, can't do so in this case. As a result it means setting up a new mini organization for another line.

Yet, with the possibility of having fellow Democrat Dempsey on the ballot this November, who may split the Democratic Party's base, it may make all the difference.

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