Breaking: Monroe County legislature Bombshell - Democrat Carmen Gumina joins the GOP caucus
Yep, I’ve been told that Carmen Gumina will leave the Democratic Party and join the Monroe County Republicans @ 10am today. Supposedly there is a press conference where such things are announced.
Unfortunately, I’m on the road, so will get back to you.
Update:1 Well - I’m back on line -
First off, here how the local news is covering it:
“There are many reasons I have made this change, but they all go back to my single most important priority as an elected official: being the best possible representative for my constituents in the town of Webster,” Gumina said during a news conference at GOP headquarters on State Street. “A bright future for Webster depends on a county government that believes in fiscal conservatism and protecting taxpayers.”
“This is a change I needed to make,” Gumina said. “I needed to make it to stay true to my core beliefs.”
County Executive Maggie Brooks said the switch affirms the fiscal policies of her administration and the GOP caucus. And Gumina, she said, will now have a stronger voice he can use on behalf of his constituents.
The Minority leaders office had this to say (via MPN)
“Of course we are feeling more than a bit betrayed by Carm Gumina’s decision to abandon not only our caucus but his own constituents who elected him into office as a Democrat,” said Minority Leader Harry Bronson, D-Rochester, Brighton, Henrietta.
I’ll have more in a follow-up post but this doesn’t bode well for the local Democrats.
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I don’t really know much about Carmen, but at the point of belaboring an analogy it looks like the county dems are playing charley brown.
Like Dunning in Chili and others the dems seem to pick folks who are nto really progressive democrats, or even liberal democrats and end up with egg on their face.
Carm is one of the few from Webster that goes to First Unitarian for services. Definitely not in much in common with Republicans. He is likely socially liberal but apparently fiscally conservative and political expediency won out.
It’s just a label…let’s see if he has the guts to go against the Repos.
tom
he would not have switched unless he meant to be a loyal soldier.
There is a payoff somewhere
mrtrippi…ever hopeful, I’m still waiting for that one time the payoff is for the voter.
I still think a dream come true for the county legislature is 14 Dems, 14 Repos and one truly independent and extremely intelligent person.
If I ever ran for county legislature and I’m not saying I will, I would only want to win if I could be that one person.
Sounds more like a nightmare in the form of a dictator to me.