Laura Incalcaterra

lincalca@lohud.com

Rockland Legislator Frank Sparaco is trying to wrestle control of the Clarkstown Republican Party away from its leadership, a battle that also underscores his long-running feud with County Executive Ed Day.

The situation means there will be primaries for committee seats in a whopping 65 of Clarkstown's overall 77 election districts on Sept. 9. About 200 of the estimated 240 total committee seats are up for grabs.

Sparaco quit the town GOP committee in May, saying that he'd "had enough" of "inter-political, party nonsense that I don't want to be a part of anymore."

But Bob Axelrod, the town committee chairman, said at the time that Sparaco faced a "disloyalty" charge that could have led to his expulsion because he had confirmed via social media that he planned to attend a Democrat's fundraiser.

Sparaco in May told The Journal News he planned to "be like" former 20-year County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef who "never once joined the committee or got involved in inter-political nonsense."

Instead, Sparaco and his supporters gathered petitions to force the primaries.

Sparaco said he had to take action because Axelrod hadn't gotten any Republicans elected but had caused divisiveness.

"I'm in an effort right now to replace Bob by getting like-minded Conservative-Republicans who believe in gun rights and who oppose late-term abortions elected to the committee," Sparaco said.

Axelrod denied any leadership shortfalls and said his efforts had brought success for the party.

"I got all my incumbents re-elected," Axelrod said. "We had an 82 percent Republican voter turnout in Clarkstown for Ed Day," who was subsequently elected county executive.

Axelrod said Sparaco was strictly out for himself, but that Clarkstown voters would make the right choices.

"Do they want a Frank Sparaco or do they want an Ed Day?" Axelrod said. "Do they want someone who is just for self-interest, power and control or do they want someone who is looking out for the best interests of everyone?"

The bad blood between the Valley Cottage lawmaker and the county executive has been boiling over on many issues.

Earlier this year, Axelrod said, Sparaco was a confirmed guest for a kickoff fundraiser for Democratic County Legislator Barry Kantrowitz, who was appointed to fill the seat vacated when Day became county executive.

A year remains on the unexpired term and Republicans are running their own candidate, Lon Hofstein, who was nominated by Day.

Sparaco said Thursday that he never attended Kantrowitz's fundraiser, which Kantrowitz and other Democrats confirmed.

Twitter: @LauraInc15