Having played the jester at one coronation, losing county executive Jack Hayes, eschewing a reprise,  could be looking to greener pastures in his own hometown. Or so goes the buzz. 

Blitzed 3-1 in April’s special election for county executive by Democrat Pat Ryan, Hayes vowed he’d carry on to November, but was he entirely serious?  When final returns are in, it’s likely that Ryan will have carried every district in the county. Past being prologue, why would anybody willingly endure six months of agony to an all predictable result when a convenient out was available?

Should Hayes seek to remove his name from the ballot he actually has three choices. In descending order, the peppy septuagenarian (he’s 76) can declare for another office in this year’s election, move out of state or die. Them’s the rules.

The office in question is town justice in Gardiner. And we all know how retired state troopers with a political bent, like Hayes, with their working knowledge of town courts, long for seats on the bench. Hayes has twice been elected in Gardiner as a Conservative with Republican backing. The only fly in that  ointment is that Ryan, who arrived in Gardiner only 17 months ago, beat Hayes by better than 2-1 on their home turf where Hayes has been a fixture since 1976.

Should Hayes withdraw – and calls to confirm his intentions have not been returned – a county Republican committee on vacancies would choose a replacement for executive. The fly therein is it took GOP leaders a month to scour up a candidate for the special election, and look what happened.

With scarce resources and a dwindling base, Republican leaders might better place all their eggs in one last basket: the race for district attorney where Mike Kavanagh is not only in for the duration against Democrat Dave Clegg, but credible.