Published: November 04, 2009 12:00 am      

Oneonta picks Dick

Former Hartwick president wins

ONEONTA — A three-way race for Oneonta mayor ended Tuesday night with a victory by former Hartwick College President Richard Miller.

Miller, 66, an independent running on the Democratic line, took 50.2 percent of the vote while Third Ward Alderman Erik Miller, a 35-year-old Republican, garnered 41.6 percent. State University College at Oneonta student Jason Corrigan, 21, took 8.2 percent on his independent party line.

Richard Miller outspent his opponents by a wide margin, according to financial reports from the state Board of Elections. But as the results came in ward by ward, his victory was anything but assured.

At one point, Erik Miller showed a single-digit lead over Richard Miller. The two are not related.

“There was a real hush in the room,” said David Hayes, a Richard Miller supporter, at The Autumn Cafe, the traditional Democratic Party Election Day gathering place.

About 100 supporters of Richard Miller and several other local Democratic Party candidates filled the room, sipping wine and cheering the final figures, which showed Richard Miller with 1,078 votes, Erik Miller with 894 votes and Corrigan with 177 votes.

The 142 outstanding absentee ballots will not have an impact on the final count, which will begin on or after Nov. 12.

Richard Miller was introduced as the next mayor of Oneonta a few minutes later by current Mayor John Nader.

“As an independent, I am incredibly grateful for the Democratic Party and its leadership,” Richard Miller said in his victory speech. “I will serve Oneonta as an independent mayor. I will always be grateful for the Democratic Party.”

Corrigan and Erik Miller gathered at My Father’s Place in the East End with about 50 family members and friends. “I wish the best for the future of this community,” Corrigan said, adding that he did not view the results as a defeat. “At the end of the day, I have gained more than lost,” he said.

Corrigan pledged to “stay on Dick Miller _ and what better person than myself to do it.”

Erik Miller said he is looking forward to working with Richard Miller as an alderman.

“The voters spoke,” Erik Miller said. “Looking back, I think I did really well.”

Erik Miller said it will be the Common Council’s job to provide checks and balances for the new mayor.

The stage for the three-way race was set when first-term Mayor John Nader announced March 23 that he had been appointed provost at the State University College of Technology at Delhi and would not be seeking re-election.

Third Ward Alderman Erik Miller, one of two Republicans on the eight-member Common Council, said the same day that he was considering a run for mayor.

Corrigan has said he began pondering a run for mayor in September 2008. He had transferred to SUNY Oneonta from SUNY Plattsburgh for the spring semester that year. Corrigan officially announced his candidacy April 23 and immediately began a series of campaign events, including YouTube videos and speeches.

Richard Miller ended weeks of speculation when he announced his candidacy May 10. An independent, he unsuccessfully sought permission to get on the ballots for the Republican, Working Families, Independence and Conservative party lines. But the Otsego County Democratic Committee authorized him to seek that party’s line, setting up a primary with Corrigan, a registered Democrat.

Richard Miller, who garnered support from prominent city Democrats including John Nader and former mayors Kim Muller and Sam Nader, handily won that race with 77 percent of the vote.

Corrigan remained in the race on his Unifying Oneonta party line.

Erik Miller ran on the Republican, Working Families, Independence and Conservative party lines. Richard Miller also ran on his Collaborate for Oneonta party line.

The race received an unprecedented amount of attention for a local election from Internet bloggers, social media and anonymous posters on websites.

Some of that attention was negative, with candidates being called alcoholics and spouse abusers. A blog post even referred to one candidate as an enema bag.

Early in his campaign, Corrigan said he did not author or condone any Internet postings that personally attacked his opponents. However, much of the Web-based activity appeared to be from his supporters.

Richard Miller appeared to have outraised and outspent his two opponents by a wide margin.

According to 32-day pre-general election filings with the state Board of Elections, Richard Miller had $3,337.49 on hand a month before the election.

Corrigan had $736, and Erik Miller had $125.

Richard Miller’s 11-day pre-general report showed he had $3,114 on hand ahead of the final week of the campaign, while Miller’s 11-day report showed he had $550.

An 11-day pre-general election report was not on file for Corrigan.

Richard Miller said he is looking forward to working with Erik Miller and the other seven members of the Common Council after he is sworn in Jan. 1.

“My position all along has been about collaboration,” he said. “Erik has run a very good race.”

When asked if he would be look to work with Corrigan on any issues, Miller declined to answer.

“I really don’t have any comment,” Miller said.

Nader’s four-year term as mayor ends Dec. 31. He will continue to serve as the dean of liberal arts and sciences at SUNY Delhi until January, when he will take over from retiring Provost Dennis Callas to oversee all academic affairs on campus.