The Independence Party is packing state Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, in her re-election effort.

Mrs. Ritchie will face Democrat Amy Tresidder, an Oswego County legislator, on Nov. 6.

The Indy nod is a departure from 2010, when the party backed then-state Sen. Darrel Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent over Mrs. Ritchie.

Ideological consistency isn't really the party's strong suit (nor is it the party's raison d'etre). For example, this year, it backed Republican Matt Doheny for Congress, and in the same breath, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

The news release that Mrs. Ritchie sent out sheds light on the Ritchie strategy for re-election: proximity to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's political magic dust.

“I’m thrilled to have the support of the Independence Party, and would like to thank Chairman (Frank) MacKay and the members of the Independence Party for their confidence in me to continue the work that the Governor and I have started,” Mrs. Ritchie said in a news release from her campaign.

Mr. Cuomo is, of course, a Democrat. And it's the flip side of the coin from the 2010 race, when Mrs. Ritchie was fending off attacks from the Independence Party for taking the same ballot line as GOP gubernatorial nominee Carl Paladino.

Mr. Cuomo handily beat Mr. Paladino, and the rest, as they say, is history.

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