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Publication Date: February 26th, 2026
The Shallot: Hudson Common Sense’s Satirical Dispatch from the Frontlines of Local Absurdity
Image taken from Sam Hodge campaign material taken from www.samhodge.com and creatively edited to reflect reality.
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“Didi Barrett has been a champion for Columbia County, with a proven, progressive track record and a long list of legislative victories,” said Sam Hodge, Chair of the Columbia County Democratic Committee, in a press conference abruptly terminating his own primary campaign against her. “Didi has always had our best interests in mind, and her thoughtful approach to governing is a tremendous asset to our region. I am proud to support Didi Barrett for Assembly!”*
Speaking to a visibly confused gaggle of local reporters and Lloyd, Hodge admitted that he had recently experienced a profound political epiphany. Running a primary campaign against a legislator after publicly praising everything she had done for years was, upon reflection, "kinda rude."
"I really didn't realize I was on such thin ice with everyone," Hodge confessed, while looking down at his shoes. "Honestly, I thought being loudly against ICE, would naturally shore up my support. But in the end, I now realize that this primary race against Didi was unwise."
Hodge went on to explain that he plans to spend his time more wisely moving forward, starting with "doing the work" in his own backyard. He announced a renewed focus on “flipping” Claverack to a Democratic Supervisor.
Editor’s Note: He pronounced it CLAY-ver-ack, instead of CLAH-ver-ack, before his chief of staff jumped in.
"After all, if you can't flip your hometown of 2,000 neighbors, should you really be running to serve in Albany?"
Hodge mused to the press: "I got a little bit of a big head, sorry guys. Look, after the Mamdani moment it became cool to be an Assembly person, but now I realize after a dozen preventable winter deaths in New York City due to his (Mamdani’s) policies that completely contradict common sense, the budget shock and even my idol having to raise property taxes by 10% on New Yorkers to pay for DEI initiatives, that it is really better to get real-world experience before running for office."
In a rational turn of events, Hodge announced he is seeking "real-world experience" by founding Claverack Consensus Development Corporation, LLC, or C.C.D.C., a boutique consultancy dedicated to advising other consultancies.
Hodge confirmed the company aims to employ "at least five people, some of whom may be legal residents or citizens," and plans to pay a living wage: provided the state grants him a small-business tax credit for "bravery in the face of commerce." He was reportedly "shaken to his core" after discovering that an employee’s gross pay and net pay are different numbers. He called the discrepancy, largely driven by taxes and esoteric fees not present in other states, "a systemic betrayal of the vibe I’m trying to curate."
When asked if he would be joining Barnfox, Creative Legion, or the Spark of Hudson co-working spaces, he was visibly shocked to find out they all now charge for membership.
The former candidate also made a point to apologize for distracting his party, noting that he never meant to waste the Democrats' time, especially with Donald Trump and Matt Murrell running circles around the party while Democrats engage in what Barack Obama once dubbed a "circular firing squad" on every possible niche issue under the sun.
"I don't want that," Hodge declared softly. "I wanted a circle of love, diversity and inclusivity of everyone except Republicans, people who love Kid Rock, the US Constitution, and the Olympic Gold winning men’s hockey team, not start a circular firing squad."
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVOjTN6Eu3G/
Around Columbia County, local officials seemed relieved by the withdrawal, though the lingering resentment was palpable. An anonymous Columbia County Supervisor who famously meddles in police promotions, County HR issues, and stumped for Kamal Johnson, noted that since Hodge's arrival on the scene, the county had become noticeably more partisan, flooded with Manhattan political money, and distinctly astroturfed.
"We are not astro-turf country" the Supervisor clarified, adjusting his flannel. "We are turf-to-table country! It just felt off."
The 106 Assembly District, posted originally on Sam’s Instagram ⬇️
Sources close to Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murrell offered a blunter assessment of the defunct campaign. "Look, he is bored at home without kids, we get it," the source said. "We were willing to play ball with him and explore the County Administrator idea, but then he got nasty with his petitions and blindsided us."
Across the aisle, and across Route 9, GOP Supervisors confirmed that Hodge's bipartisan outreach was practically non-existent. "Yeah, I called and emailed him several times, but he never got back to me," one long-serving Republican Supervisor noted. Local bloggers echoed the sentiment, complaining that "Sam only made time for donors" and Manhattan Dems here for the weekend, and routinely ignored local moderates and conservatives.
"That is just not what you do in a small town," another local insider quipped. A local Bard student, fresh from an Epstein-Botstein protest rally at Bard’s Shorenstein Center quipped: “Sam is cheugy... my prof says Sam dresses like he is from Boston, talks like he is from DC, but is actually from Manhattan"
Even outside the political bubble, residents were glad to see the dust settle. At a local diner (that is amazing and now open for brunch on Saturdays), a veteran in civvies, fresh off a shift as a sheriff's deputy, sipped his coffee. Annoyed that Creative Legion doesn’t fly the American flag, summed up the local disdain for Hodge’s 'activism' and 'justice' politics.
"I just didn't like how he interfered with our Sheriff’s campaign," the veteran was overheard saying.
"She grew up with us. She took care of us whether our parents voted for whoever. She's real. And then he tried to turn her into some Hudson-type joke with all sorts of labor union marches, SuperPAC patches and endorsements from downstate, and he lied about John. We don't do that here."
When pressed on why he failed to help current Mayor of Hudson Joe Ferris in his grueling campaign last year against 3 term Democratic mayor turned scandal plagued WFP candidate Kamal Johnson, Hodge could only muster a tight-lipped "no comment" while waiting for his soy latte at **Morning Bird.**
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Rumor has it that not all our readers realize the Shallot is, in fact, a satirical column. While the series is based on the truth, it is not 100% factual. In this instance…
Truth: CCDC Endorses Barrett / Satire or wishful thinking: Hodge drops out.
Read more here:
https://gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-ccdc-endorses-didi-barrett.html
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The lack of support has been a sore subject among local insiders. In a recently released batch of emails uncovered via a FOIL request, largely because a City of Hudson Democratic Party official got locked out of their Hotmail account and just added her official government email to all HCDC email groups, party leaders vented their frustrations.**
The emails speculated that it was utterly ridiculous for Joe Ferris to have to raise upwards of $50,000 without a dime of help from the Columbia County Democrats, to run against another Democrat, and not even a credible Republican or Marc Molinaro. According to the leaked thread, officials theorized that Sam refused to take a stand against Kamal because he was already mapping out his own Assembly run, didn't want to get on the wrong side of the Greenport voting block, and was entirely distracted by his failed petition process. In one email our correspondents reviewed a council member said; “can you believe he did not get off of the fence for squeaky clean and honest Joe Ferris, but now he wants us to betray Didi for him?”
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Our Editors & Correspondents tracked much of the election drama. Read more here about how Kamal incited a Facebook mob.
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One late night email from a Hudson 6th ward Council Member read: “and why did he spread misinformation about the Columbia Memorial Hospital staffing changes to score political points, not helpful.”
At time of print the Columbia County Republicans could not immediately be reached for official comment. One staffer requesting anonymity because he was not authorized by The Chair to speak on the record, said “we are all employed, have families, and are annoyed about the Rangers”… the anonymous source from Copake then quipped; “If the Dems treat Hudson like a trampoline to Albany they will never be around long enough fix the place.”
One of Sam’s recent Instagram posts urged, “let’s take on the tough fights.” ⬇️
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUbI6iEkSL0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again
Locals commented that “Do Big Things” and “Tough Fights” as slogans was “very Madison Avenue,” hyper vague, and they just wanted the Truck Road moved and lower property taxes. They wondered if Hodge was responsible for the Claverack Dems’ ill-fated “DO SOMETHING!” slogan.
Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Barrett campaign shared on a painfully polite and positive telephone call: "Assemblymember Barrett warmly accepts the endorsement of... checks notes... Mr. Hodge, for the second time in under two years. We are thrilled that Sam has concluded this sojourn, tested new ideas with WFP members, and is now ready to serve Democratic Party voters. We wish him the absolute best of luck in his next endeavors, and our office stands ready to invite him back into the fold”.
A Di-Di Drumming. Elected and long-time leaders of Columbia County Rallied for Barrett, in spite of Hodge’s Leadership of the Columbia County Democratic Committee just last year.
"We are not astro-turf country" the Supervisor clarified, adjusting his flannel. "We are turf-to-table country!"
The disillusionment isn't limited to the political brass. One frequent commenter, "Federal Jill" on The Gossips of Rivertown blog summarized the grassroots fatigue perfectly when reached for comment:
"Sam sells himself as a leader of the next generation, constantly mentioning he is a 'millennial' as if it is a good thing," the commenter said. "But in the most famous photo of him outside County government leading a rally, there is not a single person not eligible for AARP membership. Have you met someone under 40 that cares about the Democratic Party in Columbia County? Their entire operation is on FB, they are yet to get in their groove on IG, and are not even on TikTok"
Original unaltered photo from SamHodge.com - “The Hudson Valley needs a new generation of leadership”