Often around these parts, the weekend before an election can be a time of dirty tricks without any accounting. WGXC will watch and listen for rumors this weekend, and if we can, will debunk any false stories that emerge at the last minute in the campaign. Send emails to news@wgxc.org if you hear about any political rumors this weekend. We will not be printing rumors, but trying to investigate their truth and source.

Tue., June 26 there are two elections.

Statewide, Republicans have a primary to decide who will take on incumbent New York junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Nov. 6.
• Wendy E. Long, a Manhattan lawyer;
• George Maragos, the Nassau County comptroller;
• Representative Bob Turner, a congressman who represents portions of Brooklyn and Queens.

Statewide, Democrats have primary elections in contested Congressional districts. Locally, in the new District 19 that includes Greene and Columbia counties, as well as many surrounding counties and towns, the primary election will decide who takes on Rep. Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook).
• Julian Schreibman, former CIA lawyer;
• Joel Tyner, Dutchess County legislator.

Really, dirty political tricks happen in the final weekends of campaigns. Take 2009 in Athens:

From WGXC Newsroom Wednesday, November 4, 2009:
"In Greene County, the Athens race for Greene County Legislature became the talk of the county last week when Brent Bogardus, the Greene County Republican Party Chairman and Republican Election Commissioner, accused Democratic candidate Chris Pfister of killing a fawn in his backyard in a cruel manner. This surprising charge may have been enough to turn a toss-up race into a 50-vote victory for Pfister over longtime incumbent Ray Brooks."