Update: Dunne sent out a corrected version of the press release, which now appears below. Also, Zalewski confirmed that he is in fact kzalewski on The Record's website.

Two members of the Troy City Council want Mayor Harry Tutunjian to withdraw his endorsement of Carl Paladino, the Republican candidate for Governor. Tutunjian announced his endorsement on September 12 in Troy, just days before the primaries, saying that Paladino is the person to "take the burden from taxpayers".

Now, Bill Dunne, D-District 4, and Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, have issued a press release calling for Tutunjian to retract the endorsement because of "countless bigoted and sexually perverse" e-mail forwarded by Paladino earlier this year before announcing his candidacy. The e-mails have a been a recurring source of criticism for the Gubernatorial candidate, who has apologized for them. Just last week members of the NAACP and other minority groups held a protest regarding the e-mails.

"In his recent endorsement speech, Mayor Harry Tutunjian described Mr. Paladino as someone we can relate to," said Dunne in the release. "Personally, I can related to him and I'd love to know exactly what the Mayor means by this. Does he share Mr. Paladino's off-putting sense of humor? I, for one, don't find racism to be funny."

Zalewski continues the theme of whether or not Paladino is relatable, focusing on his personal wealth, his affair, and 31 years as a registered Democratic as examples of Paladino being "the dictionary definition of hypocrisy."

Commenter kzalewski, reasonably believed to be Zalewski himself, made multiple comments regarding the endorsement on the above-linked article that contain links to the e-mails and similar language to the press release.

The full press release is below:

Members of the Troy City Council are calling upon Mayor Harry Tutunjian to withdraw his endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, after it was revealed that Mr. Paladino enjoyed and forwarded countless bigoted and sexually perverse e-mails. In addition, Mr. Paladino laughed at offended responders, claiming the overtly racist e-mails were “funny”.

“In his recent endorsement speech, Mayor Harry Tutunjian described Mr. Paladino as someone we can relate to. Personally, I can't relate to him and I'd love to know exactly what the Mayor means by this. Does he share Mr. Paladino's off-putting sense of humor? I, for one, don't find racism to be funny,” stated Councilman Bill Dunne(Democrat - District 4).

“Troy's citizens do not relate to a multi-millionaire who pretends to be 'one of them'. We do not relate to a hypocrite who criticized Governor Paterson for having an affair, when it turns out that he had his own affair. We do not relate to a "pay-to-play" government insider who made millions by buying out politicians, and who now wants to cast himself as an outsider and reformer,” commented Councilman Ken Zalewski (Democrat - District 5). “Mr. Paladino is the dictionary definition of hypocrisy, and his campaign is divisive and dishonest.”

Zalewski also noted that Tutunjian used the Uncle Sam parade as a vehicle to give Paladino a platform, then had to back-pedal when Paladino showed his true colors. “It wasn't enough that the Mayor politicized the Uncle Sam parade by endorsing this individual,” said Zalewski. “He then had to cover up for Paladino‟s extremist remarks.”

“We are at as sad a point in this country as I can remember. At a time when we should be coming together to build consensus and solve problems, candidates like Carl Paladino are playing on peoples worst fears, dividing Americans along socio-economic lines. There is nothing 'maverick' about this. This is right out of the playbook of Republican strategist Karl Rove and Bush era political divisiveness,” continued Dunne.

“Councilman Dunne and I call on Mayor Tutunjian to disavow Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino and his racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic comments,” stated Zalewski. “Troy is a city of working class people who reject the politics of division and who can easily see through Paladino's veneer of righteous indignation: He is not a change agent – he is part of the problem – a government insider who exploited the system to build his massive fortune.”

Lansingburgh resident and community advocate, Jim Gordon will be announcing his candidacy for the soon-to-be-vacant District 1 seat on the City Council Thursday morning. He is expected to face off against Democratic candidate Kevin McGrath for the seat in November.

From a press release on the announcement:
"An organizer of the North Lansingburgh Neighborhood Watch and chairman of the Uncle Sam Parade Committee, Jim’s primary interest in seeking this position is to help keep Lansingburgh a family‐friendly place to live, work, and play. He aims to achieve this by strengthening the
many positive aspects of the community, while identifying the root causes for quality of life issues and eradicating them. He expects to work collaboratively with people of diverse opinions and ideas to forge consensus on the difficult and debatable issues that will face the city. Jim looks upon this office as an opportunity to continue his commitment to community service.

Jim is a life‐long resident of Troy and with his wife, Melissa, owns a home in Lansingburgh. Jim received a degree in Business Management from Delhi College. Now 29 years old, Jim works for Schrader and Company,Inc., a residential remodeling and cabinetmaking firm, as Director of the Business and Public divisions. Just as Jim continues to contribute to his community, he does so for the industry in‐which he earns his living. Jim has served on several board‐of‐directors for local business and trade associations. Jim has over 10 years experience working for small‐businesses in the residential and commercial construction industry. As a proven leader, Jim’s experience and his unwavering approach will prove to be vital in the coming years in Lansingburgh.

Understanding how to successfully identify and leverage future investment in residential and commercial economical development, within today’s 'new' economy, will be vital to the continued stability of Lansingburgh and the city of Troy."

Former City Councilman Keith Rogers, who served as a District 6 representative for one term starting in 1999, announced today that he will be once again running for a seat on the council this November.

Rogers is currently a project manager for Crown Castle International, a national company which owns and operates cell phone towers, and resides in the city's East Side neighborhood with his wife, Jacqueline, and three boys, Justin, Daniel, and Jake.

"I love this city and we have a very special community in Troy but I am concerned about where we are headed," said Rogers. "The petty partisan bickering needs to stop as there is too much at stake."

City Democratic Chairman Frank LaPosta said that Keith knew what it is like to hold public office and understands the needs of the citizens of the city.

Additionally, LaPosta noted that he encouraged anyone interested in running on the Democratic picket for a position in the city of Troy - whether on the City Council or as a county legislator – to send a resume to P.O. Box 308, Troy, NY 12182.