BETTER THAN HEARSAY - Democratic Dilemma: Greene Democrats Untangling In-Party Unrest

WINDHAM - An unusual circumstance is unfolding that merits a news story because it involves Larry Gardner and Lori Torgersen, two well-known figures within the Greene County Democratic Party.

Gardner served 40 years in a Republican ruled county legislature, earning a committee chairmanship, a rare sign of political and personal respect.

Torgersen became a rising star among Democrats in 2015, getting elected to the legislature from the mountaintop, changing a history of GOP control.

Their paths crossed a decade ago when the legislature was embroiled in controversy over the building of a new county jail, a multi-million dollar project that was ultimately quietly completed.

They are now at the epicenter of an in-Party entanglement that has its roots in the November, 2025, election for Windham town supervisor.

Those roots apparently run much deeper but in the present, Gardner penned a letter, last fall, that has raised a ruckus within the Party.

Gardner’s letter-to-the-editor was posted in two local newspapers related to the race in Windham between the incumbent Republican supervisor, Thomas Hoyt, and Democratic Party nominee Connor Exum.

Gardner acknowledges that in his letter, he publicly and purposely, “favored the Republican candidate,” who was returned to office.

After the vote, a correspondence was sent from the Windham Democratic Committee to the town of Hunter Democratic Committee and the county Democratic co-chairpersons Marc Czermerys and Torgersen.

That November 18, 2025, correspondence requested that, “Mr. Gardner step down from his position as a committee member in Hunter.” His resignation has not happened.

A followup correspondence was sent by Windham Committee chairperson Kathy Stone to the Party’s executive committee as well as Czermerys and Torgersen, “renewing our request that the executive committee act decisively,” regarding Gardner. No action has been taken.

“Mr. Gardner used his standing as a Democrat to lend credibility to a Republican campaign while our committee was in the field fighting for our nominee,” the Stone correspondence states.

“That is a betrayal of every volunteer, donor, and voter who trusted that our party would stand behind its own candidates,” Stone states.

“Mr. Gardner's continued membership in the Hunter Democratic Committee sends a troubling message, that there are no consequences for actively working against Democratic candidates,” Stone states.

A gathering of county Democrats is slated for April 23 when the issue will reportedly be on the table, albeit in uncertain terms. ********

In the meantime, Gardner has sent an April 13 letter to “fellow Democratic Committee members” asking that Torgersen, in her role as Party co-chairperson, recuse herself wholly from the matter.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding the writing of my letter [favoring Hoyt] were far from normal,” Gardner wrote.

“I submit that the facts and circumstances were compelling, in the interests of the Democratic Party, that such a letter be written, and that I write it,” Gardner wrote.

“My letter [favoring Hoyt] was not an aberration from my consistently loyal conduct,” Gardner continued, “but was rather my reaction as a loyal Democrat,” noting it was motivated by a “mindless choice.”

“In a nutshell, the mindless choice was to run an Anarcho-Syndicalist as a Democratic candidate for Supervisor,” Gardner wrote.

The letter was a response to, “the inexplicable decision of the Town of Windham Democratic Committee to run a candidate [Exum] on the Democratic line whose publicly self-professed political philosophy is to the left of Stalin, Lenin, Trotsky and Marx,” Gardner wrote.

The Windham Committee, in their November 18, 2025, correspondence stated, “the core issue is the manner in which Mr. Gardner chose to act.

“At no point did he approach the Windham Democratic Committee to raise concerns, offer advice, or seek dialogue,” the committee stated.

“Rather than communicating as a fellow Democrat, Mr. Gardner bypassed the committee entirely and publicly supported the Republican candidate,” the committee wrote. 

“We would have welcomed Mr. Gardner’s experience or guidance privately. Instead, his public actions demonstrated a disregard for collaboration, transparency, and party unity,” the committee wrote.

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Stone, in her followup correspondence wrote, “we are now entering the 2026 campaign season” [readying for another vote for Windham town supervisor, this November, a two-year term].

“We ask the Executive Committee to review Mr. Gardner's membership and take firm action to make clear that Democratic committee members are expected to support Democratic candidates,” Stone wrote.

“Mr. Gardner's continued membership in the Hunter Democratic Committee sends a troubling message — that there are no consequences for actively working against Democratic candidates,” Stone wrote.

Gardner, making clear his demand for Torgersen’s recusal, outlines multiple interactions that, “originated in the debate and action undertaken by the Greene County Legislature in the years 2017 and 2018 concerning the "old" Greene County Jail and the construction of its replacement.”

Around that time, “Lori published a letter, distributed widely by email and

provided to all local news media, accusing all other legislators, including me [and other legislative Democrats], of "nefarious motives,” "lacking integrity" and having lost our "ethical way.” Need I say any more about her inability to be impartial regarding me?” Gardner wrote.

Gardner, referencing a write-in candidacy that emerged, leading up to his 2018 run for re-election, wrote that Torgersen, “sent out an email to innumerable addressees with a request to send it on to others.”

The email was, “urging recipients to vote for [the write-in candidate] and against me,” Gardner wrote, noting that he was the Democratic nominee and that the write-in-candidate “did not participate in a Democratic Primary” and “did not gather signatures for an Independent Nominating Petition.”

“Teams of Democrats, principally from Windham organized by Lori, carrying lists of Democrats solicited from the County Democratic Party, canvassed throughout the Town of Hunter,” Gardner wrote.

“Their Party-requested task was to canvas for the Democratic slate. However, these teams had other plans, as I inadvertently learned from phone calls from enrolled Democrats whose doors had been

knocked on,” Gardner wrote.

“In presenting the list of candidates in their verbal presentations, beginning

with Antonio Delgado for Congress, my name was omitted and the name

of [the write-in candidate] was substituted, with a request that [the write-in candidate] be supported,” Gardner wrote.

Torgersen and others “didn't merely support [the write-in] candidacy against the Democratic candidate, they actually recruited [the write-in candidate] and created [the write-in candidate’s] campaign,” Gardner wrote.

Therefore, “I also request that the Greene County Democratic Committee inquire of its members as to who among us participated in this, and that they be caused to recuse themselves from this matter,” Gardner wrote.

Gardner, in making his request for Torgersen’s recusal, also detailed other “very public actions taken by or on behalf of Greene County Democratic Committee Co-Chair Lori Torgersen.

Those actions, detailed at length with photos in Gardner’s 6-page letter, are connected to the jail imbroglio, a costume party and the write-in campaign.

“The Windham Democratic Committee chose that you read this letter. Had this matter been settled peacefully, as was requested, this demand for recusal would not have been necessary,” Gardner wrote.

“Had Lori chosen not to participate,” Gardner wrote, “this letter would not have been necessary. The Windham Committee was twice asked by the Hunter Committee for an opportunity to resolve this peacefully. 

“We were called “disingenuous,” Gardner wrote. “Based on an allegation of disloyalty, I am compelled to defend myself.”