RITCHIE ANNOUNCES BID FOR 48TH

As Patricia A. Ritchie talks to 48th Senate District residents, she's finding that this year may be a ripe time to run against an incumbent.

"People really know what's going on this year," the Republican said. "People are sick and tired of it and they're ready to stand up."

Touting herself as the common sense voice that a dysfunctional Albany sorely needs, the St. Lawrence County clerk announced her bid Monday to unseat state Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent. Her first official day of campaigning included stops in Fulton, Watertown and Canton.

"We need leaders who are going to stand up and fight for the country, who can think outside the box, who know where to find solutions to problems and stand up for the people who elected them," Mrs. Ritchie said.

The Heuvelton resident said she took over a clerk's office running in the red and turned it into a department that makes a profit. She also organized opposition to the state's proposal to make motorists buy new license plates — a plan that would have sent $7 million of district residents' money to the state coffers.

Mrs. Ritchie has also spearheaded local efforts against the proposed closure of the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility and a proposed $1 million sweep from the state snowmobile fund. Mr. Aubertine was credited by colleagues with helping to remove those proposals from the Senate budget resolution last week.

With Democrats holding a razor-thin majority in the Senate, Mrs. Ritchie said Mr. Aubertine could be doing more to "stand up" to downstate interests.

"The New York city agenda of higher taxes and spending makes no sense. I won't go along with it," she said. "Elect me and I'll stand up for the upstate agenda. Upstate jobs are my number one priority. I will work to cut taxes and regulations and stop new ones, especially on farmers and small business."

David A. Renzi, a Republican who ran an unsuccessful bid to unseat Mr. Aubertine in 2008, said Mrs. Ritchie was the area's best chance to "break that downstate monopoly" of leadership in state government.

Mrs. Ritchie said she'd also look to cut Medicaid costs and eliminate bureaucracies within state government to reduce New York's multibillion-dollar deficit. She also expressed an anti-abortion position and said she was opposed to legalizing marijuana for medical use.

She said she's learned from a previous bid for state Assembly in 2002, which she lost to Mr. Aubertine.

"You've got to be ready to be out there every single day. And that's what I'm ready to do," she said. "We're going to keep our message positive and we're just going to work every day until election day."

The state Senate Republican Campaign Committee has funded the majority of the last two campaigns against Mr. Aubertine. But Mrs. Ritchie, who is already receiving help from a Senate minority staffer, said the committee leaders "haven't promised anything other than a resource if I need information. I'm going to rely on the local people. It's going to be a grass-roots campaign."

Mrs. Ritchie said she may solicit some of the 100,000 people who signed her petition opposing the new plate fee.

"People are fed up. They are ready to stand up and say 'no,' and I think that's what my campaign is going to be about — is getting those people to help and come forward," she said.

Mrs. Ritchie is the first announced candidate for the Republican nomination. Eric Behling, a Mexico apple orchard owner, said last week he was "leaning toward" a bid for the GOP line as well.

Mr. Aubertine is expected to seek a second full term this fall.

Andrew G. Mangione, his spokesman, said the senator was focused on the budget.

"Taking time away from the duties he was elected to do in order to campaign when every level of government is facing tremendous challenges is not appropriate at this time," Mr. Mangione said.