Complicated Non-Endorsement in East Side Assembly Race [update]

In the June 5 special election for an Assembly seat on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the political action committee of the New York State chapter of the National Organization for Women is backing Democratic candidate Micah Kellner.

In a public statement, president Marcia Pappas of the group’s state PAC said, “We were very happy that Micah Kellner chose to ask for our endorsement and we are proud to give it to him today.”

But neither Kellner nor his opponent, the pro-choice Republican Greg Camp, is being endorsed by the organization's city chapter.

That’s because the president of the group, Sonia Ossario, is Camp's longtime girlfriend.

A spokesman for Camp said they opted not to seek the endorsement of any NOW chapter because of Camp’s relationship with Ossario.

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Sonia Ossario, who said the
state chapter of NOW should not have made an endorsement in the race.

"They should have stayed out of it for the same reason that we did.
When there is a personal connection between a NOW leader -- they
should stay out of it. I can't speak exactly to what they were
thinking, the people who made this decision don't live in the city;
they don't live in the area.

When asked if Sonia or her chapter will get involved in the race now
that the state chapter did, Ossario said, "That's really a decision
for my board."