A local Democratic politico tells me that Maria Pavelock, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for state Senate in 2010, is considering running against Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River.

Ms. Pavelock lives in Kirkland, a Oneida County town at the very southern end of the new 117th Assembly District.

She will request the Lewis County Democratic Committee's endorsement on Monday, I am told.

Mr. Blankenbush is in his first term as an assemblyman in the district once held by Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava.

Oneida County Democrats have already endorsed Ms. Pavelock.

The district, the only one in our part of the north country held by a member of a chamber's minority, was coincidentally not coincidentally the only one that drastically changed. The district that once comprised eastern Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties and a few towns in Oswego County, now resembles my favorite Michael Jackson album cover. See for yourself.

An earlier version of this included the brainfart mixup of "Oneida County" as "Utica County," the former of which is correct and the latter of which does not exist.

Fa 117

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