FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2015

Four Progressive Bethlehem Democrats Announce Candidacies for County Legislature

Four Bethlehem Democrats announce today their candidacies for the Albany County Legislature in the four
legislative districts located primarily in the Town of Bethlehem. The candidates Councilman Jeffrey Kuhn,
Councilman William Reinhardt, Legislator Charles Dawson, and Matthew Miller are running to bring longneeded reform to the Albany County Legislature.
For too long, the Legislature has prioritized political gamesmanship and fiefdoms over and above the peoples
business, said Kuhn.
The latest and most high-profile example of the unwillingness to put Albany taxpayers first is the redistricting
debacle. Each of the last three times the Legislature drew new district lines it violated the federal Voting Rights
Act and the rights of minority voters in Albany County. As recognized by Judge Lawrence E. Kahn in his
decision last week, incumbency protection, not the interests of voters, has been the Legislatures priority in
drawing its district lines.
Worse, when the opportunity came last year to settle the lawsuit by creating a fifth majority-minority district
and thereby limit the financial damage to the Albany County taxpayers (likely to be in excess of $1 million),
leadership insisted the settlement include a delay of this years legislative election until 2016 a ruse the Times
Union accurately characterized as a audacious and transparent attempt to keep themselves in power.
This same legislative gerrymandering has resulted in the Town of Bethlehem being carved up into nine separate
county legislative districts, which dilutes the voice of Bethlehem voters in our county government.
And while the political gerrymandering games continue to be played, the Legislature has made no progress on
desperately needed institutional reforms. For example, in the 15 months since the Albany County Charter
Review Commission issued a report recommending a series of common sense reforms to improve our county
government, those proposals have gone nowhere in the County Legislature.
Current Legislator Charles Dawson has been fighting to at least allow a vote on these reforms, but to no avail.
I need help, said Dawson. We need more progressive voices like Jeff, Bill, and Matt in the County
Legislature if we want to move Albany County forward.
Over the past several years, Bethlehem Democrats have been at the forefront of successful reforms in both our
local town government and in the Democratic Party, said Kuhn. It is clear that the time has come to continue
those efforts in the Albany County Legislature, so that the public interest is put ahead of political self-interest.
That is why the four of us are today announcing our candidacies for the Albany County Legislature.
William Reinhardt
Candidate 33rd Legislative District

Jeffrey D. Kuhn
Candidate 34th Legislative District

Charles Dawson
Candidate 35th Legislative District

Matthew Miller
Candidate 36th Legislative District
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Councilman William Reinhardt, who is running for the Albany County Legislature in the 33rd Legislative
District, was elected to the Bethlehem Town Board in 2012. Bill, who spent 26 years working for the New
York State Energy Research and Development Authority, has a long commitment to green energy and
protecting our environment. Bill is a member of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee who has lived in
Bethlehem for more than 25 years.
Councilman Jeffrey Kuhn, who is running for the Albany County Legislature in the 34th Legislative District,
was elected to the Bethlehem Town Board in 2011. Jeff also serves as the Bethlehem Deputy Supervisor and as
Chairman of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee since 2012. Jeff is an environmental/regulatory attorney in
private practice.
Legislator Charles Dawson, who is running for reelection to the Albany County Legislature in the 35th
Legislative District, was first elected to the legislature in 1999. Charlie, who holds a Ph.D. in public
administration, is also a member of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee.
Matthew Miller, who is running for the Albany County Legislature in the 36th Legislative District, has been
teaching biology for 22 years and has lived in southern Bethlehem for over 20 years. Matt, who has been the
president of the local chapter of New York State United Teachers since 2001, is also a member of the
Bethlehem Democratic Committee.