Now that the absentees have been counted, some thoughts on who the bigger winners and losers, beyond the ballot box, for Election 2009 are. Here are 2009's winners:

COUNCILOR BILL GRANEY - Not only was Graney re-elected, but he came in first. This time around he had the help of both the Conservative and Independence parties. Yet, it was common knowledge that his own party, the Democrats, were not overly supportive of him, putting their efforts behind Jack Hardy, who came in third. It has been no secret that his good working relationship with Councilor Matthew Smith and former mayor Timothy C. Lattimore, Republicans, did not sit well with much of the leadership of the local Democratic Party.

COUNCILOR MATTHEW SMITH - Smith pulled off something that hasn't occurred in more than 25 years - a Republican city councilor being re-elected to a second term. He was also the one bright spot in the city for the GOP when it came to incumbents. The only Republican incumbent to run was 11th District Legislator Linda Murphy, who was defeated in her first re-election campaign. Smith ran a flawless campaign, helped immensely by not having to run a joint campaign with a fellow Republican. While he came in a close second, his impressive numbers, where Democrats have a large registration advantage, make him a key player in not only Republican politics in the city, but also within the county Republican party, if they take advantage of his talents.

THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY - Even with the close loss in the 23rd Congressional District, local Conservatives have a lot to be happy with - in every major competitive race, they had winning candidates. While they may not be able to win with candidates on their own, they have made the difference in several races, for both Democrats and Republicans. Expect that their endorsement will be even more sought after in the coming years by local candidates who face close contests.

THE LATTIMORE FAMILY - For many of the last 40 years, the name "Lattimore" has been either on the ballot or had a family member in office, starting with Mayor Paul W. Lattimore. The second generation of family members has continued the tradition of public service, starting with Joe Lattimore serving on the Auburn school board and as its president. Continuing that tradition is his brother Timothy, who has served as a city councilor, Auburn's mayor and now joins the county Legislature, where his sister Michelle Sedor served. Rounding out the wins earlier this month was the election of Terrance Lattimore, who, after running a spirited, but unsuccessful, race to replace his sister in the Legislature in 2007, was elected to the Owasco Town Board.

 

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