Amid many ‘no’ votes, incumbent Regents are returned

Rick Karlin, Capitol bureau

Even though Senate Republicans ended their traditional boycott of Tuesday’s Board of Regents vote, incumbents Wade Norwood, James Cottrell and Christine Cea were handily re-elected Tuesday to the panel that oversees the state education system.

But in a twist, the fourth slot — open due to the retirement of Regent James Jackson of Colonie — was taken by a relative newcomer to the education field: Sullivan County Lawyer Josephine Victoria Finn, who edged out former Albany school administrator Maxine Fantroy-Ford and Columbia County educator Helen Regina Rose, who had the backing of an organization fighting much of the Common Core rollout.

Tuesday’s vote was unusual largely due to participation of Senate Republicans and Democrats, many who voted “no” to express their unhappiness by the way in which the Regents are chosen — that is, by an at-large vote in the Legislature, which means the 99-member Assembly Democratic conference controls the process.

“I’m voting ‘no’ on both candidates,” GOP Senator John DeFrancisco said at one point, underscoring that tactic.

http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/208035/amid-many-no-votes-incumbent-regents-are-returned/