To the Editor:

In the months ahead, Guilderland Democrats have a rare opportunity to usher in a new era of town governance. 

A critical primary election is taking place on June 22, which has the potential to truly provide a change for our town. Among the offices to be filled are two seats on the Guilderland Town Board. It is possible that the balance of power on the board could dramatically shift to one that genuinely prioritizes the concerns of residents. 

Two candidates — Kevin McDonald and Christine Napierski — are attempting to throw their hats into the ring as Democratic candidates for these seats. 

Kevin McDonald was one of the plaintiffs who brought and won the lawsuit against Pyramid Corp. and the town for their violations of the State Environmental Quality Review Act in their efforts to push through the proposed Rapp Road Development Project.

Christine Napierski is a former Guilderland town justice and has been a long-time member on the steering committee of the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth, until recently resigning to run for a Guilderland Town Board seat. 

Kevin and Christine are running against the selections hand-picked by the Guilderland Democratic Committee: 15-year incumbent Paul Pastore and current Planning Board member Amanda Beedle (a backer of the Pyramid project, violations and all).

In order to appear on the primary ballot, they each need to amass enough signatures on petitions to be submitted to the board of elections.

In the next two weeks, volunteers will be canvassing registered Democrats throughout Guilderland to support Kevin and Christine in their bid to give Guilderland Democrats a true voice in selecting their candidates for the town board. 

The board of elections dictates that party members can endorse only one candidate per seat up for election in the primary. If you are inclined to give your support to Kevin and Christine, please save your signature for their petitions.

In these times, we are trying to be as safe/responsible as possible as we abide by the legalities of this process. Our volunteers will take all precautions to make this safe for everyone.

If you would like to arrange a specific time for your signature to be collected, please send an email to either: or  

Kevin McDonald and Christine Napierski. For the residents, for a change!

Iris Broyde

Guilderland