**PRESS RELEASE**
The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee (SSDC) has its sights set on winning in 2026, starting with new leadership and a renewed sense of purpose as petitioning in several key races gets underway.
At the February 21 meeting of the committee, worker rights attorney and former Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim was elected by a unanimous voice vote as chair following the planned resignation of longtime committee leader Otis Maxwell. While eight new, aspiring District Leaders were introduced to membership at the meeting, several executive committee members, including Minita Sanghvi and Dillon Moran, resigned their committee posts, ushering in opportunities for new blood, new ideas, and new energy.
In the wake of a number of frustrating local defeats last year, the Saratoga Springs Democrats undertook an autopsy of the 2025 election cycle, surveying hundreds of active voters on the impact and operations of the committee and hosting multiple in-person workshops to evaluate what was and wasn’t working for the party. Their message was clear: local Democratic voters are hungry for bold new leadership and a renewed commitment to winning big as congressional mid-terms and high-profile state races get underway.
“Our local Democrats have spoken, and we need to prove that we hear them,” said newly-elected committee chair Ron Kim. “A local committee’s role has always been about building power and resources to help our candidates succeed, and moving forward, the SSDC is doubling down on this critical mission. While I may be a familiar face around city politics, I’m doggedly committed to recruiting and empowering new voices with the energy and expertise that can lead our candidates to victory, while keeping voters engaged and informed.”
In 2026, Saratoga Springs voters will have the opportunity to flip State Senate District 44, reclaiming a seat held by out-of-touch Republican Jim Tedisco, a sitting legislator for over four decades who has repeatedly failed to deliver the kind of strong, effective representation city residents and businesses deserve. They’ll simultaneously have the chance to send Paul Tonko back to Washington for NY-20, to defend the Governor’s mansion from a MAGA incursion, to protect democratic values in the offices of the Attorney General and Comptroller, and to keep the 113th Assembly District blue under Carrie Woerner’s steady leadership.
Petitioning is a key step in any candidate’s path to victory, and as this process kicks into high gear in coming weeks, local voters will also have the opportunity to sign for nearly a dozen hopeful District Leaders across the city–elected members of the SSDC who serve as a bridge between voters and the party, organizing local events, selecting nominees for any vacancies, and keeping voters informed.
The SSDC is actively recruiting volunteers to help knock doors in their neighborhood to ensure Democratic candidates get on the ballot. For those interested in learning about petitioning and meeting other Democrats in the process, sign up to volunteer at www.saratogadems.org/contact.
Members of the SSDC would like to thank Otis Maxwell for his committed leadership over the past several years, and appreciate the dedication of the former executive committee. Chair Kim succeeds Maxwell in an interim capacity, until the committee’s formal reorganization meeting later this year.
###