Byrnes' bid falls short in Texas

A former Lowville newspaper editor/publisher’s bid for elected office in Texas came up short last week.

As we mentioned recently on this blog, Anthony L. “Andy” Byrnes, who operated the weekly Adirondack Mountain Sun for more than 12 years before closing in December 2004 and moving south, was running for a four-year seat on the four-person Commissioner’s Court in Brewster County, West Texas.

According to story on the Big Bend Gazette’s Web site, Andy finished second in a three-way race to incumbent Kathy Killingworth. Unofficial results had the incumbent at 317 votes, followed by Andy with 162 (29.3 percent) and Bill Bourbon with 73.

Andy’s showing this time around was slightly better percentage-wise than in 2002, when he was involved in a three-way race for the 122nd Assembly District seat.

Unofficial results in that race had Assemblywoman Dierdre K. “Dede” Scozzafava with 17,343 votes, followed by Andy with 7,932 (28.6 percent) and Jefferson County Legislator Michael W. Behling, R-Adams Center, with 2,490. Mr. Behling had endorsed Ms. Scozzafava after losing a Republican primary to her, but his name remained on the ballot.

Andy did earn a moral victory in that election by garnering the most Lewis County votes.