Brindisi Backs Call to Fire Oneida County Elections Commissioners

Anthony Brindisi says he supports a call for the removal of the two commissioners of the Oneida County Board of Elections.

Brindisi, a Democrat, on Monday congratulated Republican challenger Claudia Tenney after a drawn-out race for New York's 22nd district congressional seat.

Brindisi had been seeking reelection to the post he won when he defeated Tenney in the 2018 election.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente has asked Governor Andrew Cuomo to remove the county's two election commissioners because of errors associated with the congressional election.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Brindisi said he supports Picente's request that the commissioners be ousted "100 percent."

Brindisi said "what happened here in Oneida County is unconscionable." He said "there has to be accountability for those two commissioners" for the problems that occurred.

Brindisi noted the applications of more than 2,400 people who had registered to vote through the DMV had not been processed in the county. He said he believes that number was "just the tip of the iceberg. I think the problem is much deeper than that."

Brindisi said he's "angered and concerned" about the apparent attitude of "oh well, we didn't get to it" shown by the election commissioners.

Tenney is scheduled to be sworn in to represent the 22nd Congressional District on Thursday.

The former Binghamton office of Rep. Anthony Brindisi was being closed on February 10, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)