Douglas 'honestly considering' a run for Sayward's seat

With Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward's announcement that she won't seek another term, the glaring question is: now what?

The first name to pop into my head was Jay town Supervisor Randy Douglas, the Democrat who chairs Essex County's Board of Supervisors.

I talked to Douglas just a few minutes ago, and here's what he said:

"It's humbling that people would even consider me for that at this point," Douglas said. "It is interesting, but I really don’t know at this point. To be honest, if (Tropical Storm) Irene hadn't happened, maybe I would have a better idea. But right now my priority is still on helping the folks in the town of Jay get back on their feet."

Douglas said he's "honestly considering a run," but he won't make a formal decision until he "thoroughly" discusses the pros and cons with his family.

In recent years, Douglas has made a lot of inroads in Albany and Washington. He's been a fierce advocate for his town constituents in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, and he's also taken on some thorny issues -- mainly, he's argued for Essex County to sell the Horace Nye Nursing Home and get out of the fish hatchery business.

It's also tough to ignore the similarities to Sayward: they're both closer to the political center, and both have followed similar political paths (Sayward was supervisor of the town of Willsboro and chair of the county board before moving to the Assembly).

What do you think? Should Douglas run? Or do you have someone else in mind? As always, your thoughts are welcome.