The personal voting record of a state Senate candidate became an election issue Monday when a supporter of her opponent questioned her commitment to the democratic process.

Seneca County resident Doris Wolf criticized in a letter to various local media outlets, Democrat and Working Families candidate for the state Senate's 54th District seat Paloma Capanna, who she said did not vote in elections between 1997 and 2002.

Capanna did not confirm nor deny the accusations in multiple e-mails to The Citizen, though a Monroe County Board of Elections official did verify that there is no record of her participating in elections during that stretch despite being on the rolls.

Opponent Michael Nozzolio's campaign claimed Monday to have no connection with the letter, though a campaign representative made multiple, un-prompted calls to The Citizen before making a statement criticizing Capanna.

“This irresponsible pattern of not voting seriously casts doubts about Ms. Capanna's commitment to public service and reform,” said Justin McCarthy, a Nozzolio spokesman.

“It is shocking and sadly ironic that she could ask anyone to vote for her when she didn't bother to vote for seven consecutive years,” McCarthy continued.

In her statements, Capanna questioned the relevance of this issue. She also noted affiliations between the letter writers and Nozzolio.

“This afternoon has been an example of why people get turned off to politics. Where is (the media's) coverage of the issues ...” stated Capanna in an e-mail, who is running on a platform stressing universal health insurance, green energy and tax relief.

“We might live in a different country today if the issues were the center point of media attention,” she continued.

The letter written by Wolf, a Junius resident and a member of the Seneca County Democratic Committee, said that she visited the Monroe County Board of Elections and looked into Capanna's voting history, and she called the lack of participation “insulting” to women.

“You don't choose not to vote when you are a woman,” Wolf said, “when you fought as hard as women had to fight to get that right to vote.”

But Capanna said in an e-mail that she has spent much of her career as a family law attorney focusing on women's issues. She also noted that she has helped to organize a three-part women's series called “Our Voices. Our Agenda. Our Future” that wraps up after the election on Nov. 20.

“Win or lose, we are providing an opportunity for women to come together, to speak about the history of the women's movement, to discuss women's legislative concerns and set a future course of action to advance that agenda,” she stated.

Capanna also said there are connections between Wolf and the Nozzolio campaign. A search through the archives of The Citizen shows that Wolf, who has been involved with Canalway Trail Association of New York and other community groups, has worked with Nozzolio multiple times to receive grants for historical projects.

“They really should have written their letter to the editor about their personal, professional and campaign affiliations with the incumbent,” Capanna stated, referring to Wolf's letter.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.