Letters

The Southampton Press’s April 17 editorial, “Under Attack,” rightly laments congressional Republican attempts to disenfranchise millions of citizens from voting via the SAVE Act. Unfortunately, that same editorial relies on misinformed perceptions to cast aspersions on the Southampton Town Democratic Committee’s candidate selection process.

Incorrect perception: “If, as it appears, he (John Leonard) was removed by Democratic Committee Chairman Gordon Herr, that’s far too much power in one unelected man’s hands.”

The reality: John Leonard was, indeed, supported by Gordon Herr, but he was selected to run in the special election by an attorney-led candidate selection committee that takes pride in its standard of fairness to potential candidates and transparency to the Democratic Committee in our nominating process, which concludes by giving the 84 members of the committee an opportunity to nominate other candidates at the designating convention. We believe it is a fair process that matches up against other candidate selection methods.

The final decision to support Mr. Leonard was based on his encyclopedic knowledge of town issues, his ability to explain his positions and his indefatigable energy.

John Leonard was not removed by a chairperson “with far too much power in one man’s hands,” but by his own decision to decline the nomination as he determined that sufficient support for his candidacy was evaporating.

No one on the Southampton Town Democratic Committee surrenders their independence and judgment to the chair. What committee members do is to take into consideration the indisputable record of Democratic electoral success that has been led by 24/7 Chairman Gordon Herr. The record also shows a party that has increased the number of registered Democrats by a factor of two since Mr. Herr became chair of the committee. It is his unmatched record of achievement that has earned him the respect of the committee, and which gives his opinions the heft they deserve.

But, make no mistake, Mr. Herr is primarily first among equals, who, since 2008, has been elected chair of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee.

Jeanne Greco

Treasurer

Southampton Town Democratic Committee

The letter is written on behalf of the Executive Committee/Candidate Selection Committee of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee — Ed.