Shafer wins Albany County legislative race

Former PEF President Howard A. Shafer was elected to the Albany County Legislature in a special election held April 27. 

The election of the entire county Legislature was delayed from last November to allow for court-ordered redistricting based on the 2000 Census data.

Shafer, who was endorsed by the PEF Region 8 Political Action Committee, was elected in the 36th District, representing residents of the Bethlehem and Coeymans area. 

The PEF retiree, who ran on the Democratic, Working Families and Independence parties’ lines, defeated his Republican/Conservative opponent 572-492, according to unofficial tallies. The district is predominantly Republican.

Shafer was president of PEF from 1991-94, vice president from 1988-91 and was Region 8 coordinator before that. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp in Vietnam, before beginning more than 30 years of service with New York state at the Department of Health in Albany. 
— Sherry Halbrook