Anagnostakis will seek primary rather than GOP Convention in his bid for the 39th state Senate District seat

NEWBURGH — Orange County Legislator Mike Anagnostakis announced this week he will forgo the May 17th Republican nominating convention for the 39th Senate District seat, and instead to focus on the Republican primary this summer and the general election in November.
"Let's be very clear," Anagnostakis, a Republican from the Town of Newburgh now in his third term as a county legislator, said. "The overwhelming majority of rank and file GOP Committee members are good hard-working Republicans. But the insiders, in the infamous tradition of Boss Tweed politics, have connived for months, behind the scenes, to advance their hand-picked yes man puppet and will use the convention as a coronation.
"After working almost three decades to keep the same man in office," he added, "they were cleverly manipulated out of the process, when it would have been their job to find the best candidate when the seat became open."
Anagnostakis said there were no committee interviews of candidates; no questions and answers for those seeking the job; no endorsement process from Town Committee to Town Committee.
The vacancy was created by state Sen. William J. Larkin Jr., who announced last week he would not seek re-election after four decades in public office.
Subsequently, Stony Point Councilman Tom Basile announced his campaign. Larkin endorsed Basile.
Anagnostakis called the selection process "outrageous."
According to the press release detailing his announcement, Anagnostakis, described how he has waged multi-year political battles against his own Republican party.
Among the issues he cited were enacting and retaining a "Pay-to-Play" Law in Orange County to help stop corruption, making elected officials pay toward their health insurance and his efforts to save Valley View as a county owned nursing home for the seniors of Orange County.
"I will continue to fight for what is best for the people and not the political insiders," Anagnostakis said, "and look forward to the September Republican primary where - for the first time in nearly 30 years - Republican voters will select who their candidate will be in November for this Senate seat."