McGuire says she's in it to win it

Susan McGuire caught some people by surprise by declaring her candidacy for Dutchess County clerk on the Independence Party line. What had been shaping up as a contest between Clerk Brad Kendall, the Republican, and former Clerk Dick Anderson, the Democrat, has become a three-way race for one of the top jobs in county government.

And you thought the county executive race would be exciting.

Straw Poll checked in with McGuire today to get the inside scoop.

First of all, there is the matter of McGuire’s employment. She had been working as human resources director for the Town of Fishkill, but she took an unpaid leave of absence starting Feb. 1 for “personal family reasons.” She still has the option of returning to the job later this year, but she has yet to decide whether she will.

“Right now, what I’d like to do is win the county clerk seat,” she said.

McGuire, a 51-year-old Fishkill resident, said she changed her party affiliation from Republican to Indpendence shortly after losing a close race for the District 16 seat in the county Legislature to Democrat Alison MacAvery in November 2005. She sees the Independence Party as a welcome alternative to the two major parties, and she sees herself as a viable alternative to the two other clerk candidates.

McGuire’s boss at the Town of Fishkill was Supervisor Joan Pagones, who had sought a governor’s appointment to county clerk last fall but was passed over for the job by Gov. George Pataki in favor of Kendall. McGuire dismissed speculation that Pagones influenced her decision to run for the job this year.

“I think she was just as shocked as Brad Kendall and Dick Anderson,” McGuire said. “The truth is, I honestly feel it’s the right thing to do.”