It hasn't been a good week for Monroe County Democrats. As they announced that they couldn't find a candidate to run against Maggie Brooks, the news broke that City Councilmember John Lightfoot, a Democrat, has been charged with felony DWI.

State police arrested him the night of July 26 after a two-car accident on 490 West near the Ames Street exit. (No one was injured.)

Lightfoot, who is in his second year on City Council, hasn't been convicted of the charge, but it's his third DWI arrest. He was arrested and convicted in two separate incidents in 1998, making this DWI charge a felony. If he is found guilty, he could get a conditional discharge, or he could get as much as 2 1/2 years to 7 years in prison. But in any case, if he is found guilty, he'll have to resign from City Council, and City Council will name his replacement.

DWI convictions are sometimes a problem for political candidates, and word of the previous convictions has raised a question for Democrats: Did the party know about his record when he ran for office in 2005? And does it matter? Should DWI convictions rule out a run for office?

Democrats interviewed on Monday insisted on making their comments off the record, but several said some committee members must have known about at least one of the convictions.

Lightfoot has not commented on the issue. City Council President Lois Giess said Monday that Council wouldn't take any action until the outcome of Lightfoot's case.