Green candidate OK'd for spot on ballot
Syracuse Post-Standard
Mike McAndrew
September 13th, 2008
Howie Hawkins cleared for House run in 25th District after petitions reviewed.
Howie Hawkins rented a car to drive to Albany for a Friday afternoon hearing that would determine whether he could be on the ballot as a candidate in the 25th Congressional District.
He was afraid his own Kia Rio compact might not make it that far.
But after the Green Populist Party candidate won the right to be on the Nov. 4 ballot, he said his campaign is ready to jump into the passing lane.
A Board of Elections hearing officer ruled Friday that Hawkins had collected 4,141 valid signatures on his nominating petition, more than enough to be listed on the ballot with Democrat Dan Maffei and Republican Dale Sweetland.
Hawkins' petition had been challenged by Dustin Czarny, a Maffei campaign volunteer and Democratic ward chairman in Syracuse. Czarny said he does not anticipate going to court to appeal the decision.
Hawkins has lost 13 prior elections, never receiving more than 10 percent of the vote.
While Hawkins may draw some support that otherwise would go to Maffei, he most likely will not affect the outcome of the election, said Robert Spitzer, chairman of SUNY Cortland's political science department.
"If you're Dan Maffei, you'd probably rather not have Howie Hawkins in the race. But I don't think Hawkins is in a position to be a spoiler," Spitzer said.
In 2006, incumbent Rep. James Walsh, R-Onondaga, beat Maffei by about 3,400 votes.
But Maffei is not running against an incumbent this time, has been campaigning vigorously, and has raised more than $1 million more than Sweetland.
Sweetland said he thinks Hawkins deserves to be on the ballot because he worked hard to get the required 3,500 signatures on his nominating petition.
Hawkins said he was relieved, but not surprised, when Board of Elections hearing officer Robert Brehm ruled Hawkins' nominating petition was valid.
"Now we can finally cut loose," Hawkins said.
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