Ballston Republican Committee

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You’ve reached the home of the Town of Ballston Republican Committee.  We are currently upgrading our website for the start of our exciting 2011 campaign. Please check back with us on April 15^th when we will have the site fully operational.

In the meantime, if you need assistance please contact our chairman, Mike Groves townofballstongop@live.com

(518) 884-0597

730 Goode St. Ballston Spa, NY  12019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Mike Groves, Chairman                                             

townofballstongop@live.com                                                                                            

(518) 884-0597                                                                                                                   

730 Goode St.                                                                                                               

Ballston Spa, NY  12019

Ballston Republicans to Interview Potential Candidates

Ballston Spa—The Town of Ballston Republican Committee announced today that it is seeking potential candidates to interview for the Committee’s endorsement to run for the following elected offices:  Town Supervisor, Town Clerk, Tax Collector and Town Council.

Any town resident who may be interested in seeking the Republican endorsement is invited to attend a Candidate Information Night on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. at Carney’s in Ballston Lake.  Members of the Town Board, other elected officials and Committee-people will be present to answer questions and meet with potential candidates.  Formal interviews will follow later in March with exact dates and times to be determined.

“This committee has established a tradition of openness and transparency, particularly when choosing to endorse candidates for elected office,” said Chairman Mike Groves.  “We certainly hope that anyone who may be interested in seeking a Town office either this year or perhaps in the future takes advantage of this opportunity to meet with current Committee members and elected Republicans.”

To be considered for the Committee’s endorsement for any of the elected offices listed above, interested candidates should send a letter of intent and current resume via e-mail to townofballstongop@live.com or by mail to Mike Groves, Chairman at 730 Goode St. in Ballston Spa, NY  12019.  To speak with a member of the Committee about running for office, Vice Chairman Wes Carr can be reached at (518) 399-7135.  For more information about the Committee, visit our website at www.gopballston.com or the Facebook page found by searching for Ballston Republican Committee.  Town residents are also invited to join the Republican Committee monthly meeting on Thursday, February 17 at 7 p.m., also at Carney’s.

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August 24, 2010

“Setting the Record Straight”

Dear Editor:

My name is Michael Groves and a resident of the Town of Ballston, since 1999.  I am also the new Chairman of the Town Republican Committee.    Recently, I have read some letters to the editor concerning this year’s Town Justice race. 

As Chairman of the Republican Committee, I need to set the record straight.  The Town of Ballston Republican Committee endorsed John Fantauzzi for the position of Town Justice, through a fair and open process.

On May 10^th   Press Releases were sent to The Ballston Journal, The Spotlight Newspapers and The Schenectady Gazette  announcing the Town of Ballston Republican Committee’  intention to hold interviews for the Town Justice  position, at our meeting of May 28^th.  The release gave my personal email address and solicited anyone interested in seeking the committee’s endorsement to contact me directly. 

 The announcement was published in the Ballston Journal on May 20^th, 2010. 

We received no responses, from the public and two responses from two of our Committee Members.  The two candidates were interviewed by the full committee and Mr. Fantauzzi received the endorsement.  .  Our endorsement was based on his experience as both an attorney in good standing with the state bar and his prior experience as a Town Justice.

There were no “deals”, nor did we have “our guy” picked out in advance.  Our decision was based solely on the best interests of the town.

In closing I thank you for the opportunity to clear the air, and would like to extend an invitation to any registered Republican  in the Town of Ballston interested in our committee to contact myself or any committee person, directly or through our committee email at;  townofballstongop@live.com. We welcome new members and supporters.

BURNT HILLS – The Town of Ballston Republican Committee announced the endorsement of John Fantauzzi, Esq. for Town Justice earlier this week.  Fantauzzi, a partner at Englert, Coffey, McHugh and Fantauzzi, LLP previously served as the Town Justice in Ballston from January – December, 2006.

Michael Groves, Chairman of the Ballston Republican Committee, thanked Fantauzzi for seeking the endorsement adding, “The Committee is proud to endorse John Fantauzzi.  His prior experience as Town Justice will serve him and our Town well should he be elected in November.”

“I believe that my private practice experience and my one-year appointment as Town Justice make me uniquely qualified to serve in this important position,” said Fantauzzi.  “If elected, I can assure the people of the Town of Ballston that I will serve with respect and integrity.”

An active member of the community and respected attorney, Fantauzzi is a frequent guest speaker on topics ranging from elder law to estate planning.  He has been married to his wife Cara for 12 years.  They live in Burnt Hills with their four children, Isabella (8), Sophia (5), Devlin (3) and Francesca (2).

Chris Gibson, a recently retired Army Colonel and battalion leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, received the unanimous endorsement of the Republican County Chairs in the 20th Congressional District on Wednesday, March 31. 

Chris Gibson grew up in Columbia County in the town of Kinderhook.  He was the Point Guard and Co-Captain of Ichabod Crane’s High School Basketball Team and went on to graduate magna cum laude with a BA in History from Siena College while earning a ROTC Commission there. 

Over the course of his 24 year Army career Chris was deployed 7 times; including 4 combat tours to Iraq, and separate deployments to Kosovo, the Southwestern US for a counter-drug operation, and most recently (just prior to his retirement) to Haiti where he commanded the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team during the opening month of that humanitarian relief operation.

Other key assignments included tours teaching American Politics at the United States Military Academy at West Point, serving as a Congressional Fellow with US Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA), the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and completing a Hoover National Security Affairs Fellowship at Stanford University.

Among his military decorations are 2 Legions of Merit, 4 Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with Star, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. For their actions in Mosul in support of the first national election in the new Iraq, his Battalion Task Force earned the Valorous Unit Award. For their actions in Tal Afar during the 2nd and 3rd national elections in Iraq his Battalion and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment were recognized for excellence by President George W. Bush and earned a 2nd Valorous Unit Award.

Chris holds an MPA and PhD in Government from Cornell University and is the author of Securing the State, a book on national security decision-making published in 2008. Chris has been married to Mary Jo, a NYS Licensed Clinical Social Worker, for over 13 years and they have three children: Katie (12), Maggie (10) and Connor(8).  Their home is in Kinderhook where Chris is active in several civic organizations and St. John’s Church of Valatie.

To learn more about Chris Gibson, to make a donation or to volunteer for his campaign, please visit his home on the web at www.chrisgibsonforcongress.com.