Democrats Rising

Democrats Sweep Town Seats in the Town of Copake

2009-11-05T11:00:00.017-05:00

In the Town of Copake the Copake Democrats swept every town seat across the board.

Democratic incumbents Linda Gabaccia and Bob Sacks held their seats on the Copake Town Board. Democratic challenger Loredana Delventhal unseated David Gordineer for town assessor. The position of town justice was won by Democratic incumbent Brian J. Herman over former justice William Kane.

Preliminary vote totals are:

Copake Town Board

Gabaccia - 513

Sacks - 479

LaPorta - 450

Weber - 440

Copake Assesor

Delventhal - 500

Gordineer - 390

Copake Town Justice

Herman - 552

Kane - 390

Read more in Register-Star

Columbia County Democrats Leaders Personally Respond to $9Million Accounting Fiasco

2009-11-05T03:11:00.006-05:00

Several key members of the Columbia County Democratic Committee (CCDC) have responded to the $9 Million accounting mess at the Columbia County Department of Social Services (DSS) by writing letters to the editor and by blogging.

We bring you these letters so that you can see what other people are thinking about this scandal.

Bear in mind, the writers are speaking only for themselves and not on behalf of the committee.

Carol Sacks

How Do You Lose $9M?

November 5, 2009

Letter to the Editor Register-Star

Carol Sacks is Treasurer of CCDC and Chair of Copake Democrats.

She was a candidate for Columbia County Treasurer in 2007.

Chris Nolan

Free pass?

November 4, 2009

Letter to the Editor Register-Star

Chris Nolan is Chair of CCDC and Chair of Clermont Democrats.

Victor Mendolia

$9 Million Dollars?...Well How Much Does a New Form of Government Cost Then?

November 2, 2009
Blog Post Diamond Street

Victor Mendolia is Chair of Hudson City Democratic Committee and CCDC Webmaster.

Robin Andrews With Slight Lead in Claverack Supervisors Race

2009-11-05T00:57:00.003-05:00

Everyone has expected the race for the Town of Claverack Supervisor seat to be tight. After the polls closed it became clear just how tight it is. Democrat Robin Andrews is looking to unseat incumbent Claverack Supervisor, Republican Jim Keegan. The race remains too close to call.

Claverack Supervisor

The unofficial preliminary total is:

Andrews - 888

Keegan - 881
There are about 130 absentee ballots to count.

Art Bassin Captures Ancram Supervisor Seat for the Democrats

2009-11-05T00:31:00.006-05:00

Democrat Art Bassin has unseated Republican incumbent Supervisor Thomas Dias in the Town of Ancram.

Ancram Supervisor
Bassin - 338
Dias -271
A little more than 100 absentee ballots are left to count.

Read more at Register-Star and Columbia Paper

Ed Nabozny Takes Greenport Supervisor Seat from Republicans

2009-11-04T23:58:00.001-05:00

In a major pickup for the Democrats due to its heavily weighted vote, Ed Nabozny has taken the Town of Greenport's Supervisor's seat. The seat had previously been held by Republican John Rutkey who did not run for re-election.

Edward Nabozny, an Independence Party member backed by Greenport Democrats and the Conservative Party won by a large margin, beating out Republican Patrick Nolan.

This was Nabozny’s second run at the supervisor position.

Nabozny received 833 votes, while Nolan received 496.

Read more in Register-Star.

It's Too Close to Call for Lee Jamison in Stuyvesant Supervisors Race

2009-11-04T22:33:00.004-05:00

When the polls closed in the Town of Stuyvesant, the race for Stuyvesant Town Supervisor was too close to call.

Republican incumbent Supervisor Valerie Bertram was at 378 votes, and Democratic challenger Lee Jamison with 359 votes.
Lee was endorsed by the Register-Star.

There are about 50 absentee and affadavit ballots still to be counted, leaving room for either candidate to emerge victorious.

Read more on the race in Register-Star and the Stuyvesant Democrats Blog.

Supervisor Raymond Staats Wins Re-Election Handily in Clermont..Again.

2009-11-04T22:18:00.001-05:00

Incumbent Supervisor Raymond Staats has won for a second time over Republican Carol Lent in the Town of Clermont.

Staats won by a considerable margin, earning 380 votes to Lent’s 224.

Several Democratic Incumbents Lose Their Races

2009-11-04T21:33:00.022-05:00

In sad losses for Columbia County Democrats,

several Democratic incumbents have lost their races for re-election.

• In the Town of Kinderhook attorney Pat Grattan has beaten Doug McGivney for Kinderhook Supervisor.

• In the Town of Livingston, Kevin McDonald has won over Phil Williams for Livingston Supervisor.

• In the Town of Austerlitz, Jeff Braley is ahead of Democratic incumbent George Jahn for Austerlitz Town Supervisor. The current vote count is Braley 255 votes and Jahn 178. With about 80 absentee ballots issued, Jahn would have to win nearly all of them in order to win the election.

The Columbia County Democratic Committee wishes to thank Supervisors McGivney, Williams and Jahn for their service to the committee, to their towns and to Columbia County.

Read More on Kinderhook, Livingston, Austerlitz in the Register-Star
and Columbia Paper

Democrat Don Moore Elected Hudson's Next Common Council President

2009-11-04T20:06:00.009-05:00

Don Moore is congratulated by 2nd Ward Supervisor Ed Cross.
Standing (l) is 2nd Ward Alderman Abdus Miah and seated, Hudson City Treasurer Eileen Halloran.

(Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers)

See the Full Article.

After a re-canvass of all seven Hudson election districts, the unofficial preliminary totals in the race for Hudson Common Council President, indicate a substantial lead for Don Moore over Republican John J. Porreca.

At present the vote totals in the Common Council President race stand as follows:

Citywide Totals

Moore - 581

Porreca - 504

Note: There were absentee ballots 230 issued citywide which are yet to be counted.

More at Register-Star

In Hudson Supervisor Races Landslides for Hughes and Cross

2009-11-04T19:25:00.001-05:00

In Hudson, 4th Ward Supervisor William Hughes Jr. and 2nd Ward Supervisor Rev. Edward Cross III have been re-elected in landslides.

Rev. Cross on the Democratic line, handily beat Tracy Decker who had the Republican and Conservative lines.

Supervisor Hughes had the endorsements of the Hudson Democrats and the Working Families Party and won the Conservative and Independence Party primaries as a write in candidate. He beat Samuel Santiago who ran on the Republican line.

Preliminary voting machine totals are as follows:

2nd Ward

Cross - 132

Decker - 30

4th Ward

Hughes - 112
Santiago - 31

In the 1st Ward Supervisor John Musall ran unopposed on the Democratic, Independence, Conservative and Working Families Party.

1st Ward

Musall - 93

The Hudson City Democratic Committee offers its thanks and congratulations to Supervisors John Musall, Edward Cross III and William Hughes Jr.

In the 3rd Ward, Supervisor Joe Finn is down by 18 votes in his 3rd race against Republican William Hallenbeck. Unofficial preliminary voting machine results have Finn with 110 and Hallenbeck with 128 with extremely light turnout, particularly in the 3rd Ward - 2nd District.

Note: 37 Absentee ballots have been sent with 26 having been returned so far. Therefore this race is still too close to call.

A Rough Night for Incumbents - Crucial Races Too Close to Call.

2009-11-04T02:24:00.001-05:00

Election 2009 has proven to be rough on incumbents of both parties. On the Democratic side Doug McGivney of Kinderhook, Phil Williams in Livingston and George Jahn have lost their bids for re-election.

Republican Thom Dias in Ancram has apparently lost to Art Bassin. Democrats, Raymond Staats in Clermont and Meg Robertson in New Lebanon were re-elected. In a big pick-up for the Democrats, Ed Nabozny has won handily in Greenport.

Democrat Robin Andrews has a slim lead in the race for Supervisor in Claverack. The race in Stuyvesant is too close to call and in Taghkanic, due to a large number of absentee ballots, Loretta Hoffmann may still prevail over long-time Supervisor Betty Young.

In Hudson, Supervisors Edward Cross III and William Hughes Jr have won landslide victories in the 2nd and 4th Ward Supervisor races. Joe Finn is currently trailing Republican William Hallenbeck by 18 votes.

We will post all re-canvass numbers as soon as they are available.

In the meantime, see results for
Ancram, Austerlitz, Canaan, Chatham, Claverack, Clermont,
Hillsdale, Kinderhook, Livingston, New Lebanon, Stockport, Stuyvesant and Taghkanic and
Copake, Gallatin, Germantown, Ghent, Greenport in the Register -Star

Election Returns - Will be Here

2009-11-02T23:43:00.001-05:00

We will be posting election results for all of Columbia County as soon as they become available on Tuesday Night, Election Day November 3rd.

The Register-Star Endorses Don Moore for Hudson Common Council President

2009-10-28T16:01:00.002-04:00

From the paper's endorsement:
"The city needs someone at the helm of the Common Council that can keep control over the differing personalities on the Common Council. We feel that Moore is the person for the job. A job that he will commit to like it is a full-time job to make sure all the aldermen are informed on issues and resolutions before it’s time for a vote. Moore’s plans to help the city become more economically sound and viable are good ones. They demonstrate that he has a great understanding of how many of the issues that the city faces are intertwined. While Porreca may have experience from being on the Common Council, we feel that Moore’s breadth of experience from his volunteerism and work experience will serve him well as the leader of the Common Council...We recommend Hudson voters elect Moore as their next Common Council president."

Read More: Common Council President Race Has 2 and the Full Endorsement.
Also Check Out Don Moore's Candidate Profile and his Blog - Hudson Outlook.
You may have missed Backs Moore and Franck

Register-Star Endorses David Franck for 5th Ward Alderman. No Endorsement for Either Incumbent

2009-10-28T15:52:00.002-04:00

In a major coup, David Franck has received the only endorsement in the race for 5th Ward Alderman from the Register-Star.

His opponents in the race are eight-term Alderman Robert Donahue and six-term Alderman Richard Goetz. The paper did not endorse either of the incumbents.

"In our interview with Franck, he said he was running because he said he feels you can’t complain unless you’re willing to be part of the process. He takes issue with the fact that Goetz is away for months at a time, leaving the ward without adequate representation. Franck cares about the big issues facing Hudson such as job growth and the tax burden, but also is aware of the smaller issues, such as public safety. It is this kind of broad view that we believe will serve the residents of the Fifth Ward well. Voters in the Fifth Ward should cast their vote for Franck."

Check out Three Run in the 5th Ward and the Endorsement.
Read David Franck's Candidate Profile.
See Also: Backs Moore, Franck.

Download a 5th Ward Sample Ballot.

Register-Star Endorses Supervisor William Hughes in Hudson's 4th Ward

2009-10-28T15:39:00.005-04:00

From the Register-Star's Endorsement.
"Hughes first served the Fourth Ward as an alderman and is running for a second term as supervisor because he enjoys being an advocate for the people of Hudson. He is proud of being one of the most vocal opponents to the county’s plan to move DSS out of the city. Once Hughes gets involved in an issue, he doesn’t let go....Hughes’ passion for the city and its residents is obvious to anyone that comes in contact with him. We see no reason why he should not be returned to office."

See Supervisor Hughes' Candidate Page, read the Register-Star's Endorsement. See also: Supervisor Hughes Blog.

Register-Star Endorses Hudson 2nd Ward Supervisor Ed Cross III

2009-10-28T15:34:00.001-04:00

From the paper's endorsement.
"When talking with Cross the commitment to his ward and the city as a whole is obvious. He always uses the words “us” and “we” when referring to the issues that affect the ward and city. He said that housing for the homeless must be in the city so that access to the services they need is easier...Cross has a strong grasp of the issues and knows the impact that his vote has on the city’s residents. He has served the city well over the years and we believe he will continue to do so."
See Rev. Cross' Candidate Page. Read the Endorsement.

Austerlitz Supervisor George Jahn Endorsed by Register-Star for Re-election

2009-10-23T01:06:00.002-04:00

"...we feel that Jahn, who was endorsed by the Preserve Austerlitz ticket, is just getting started and seeing as he was a part of creating the town’s new zoning law, he should continue his work in implementing it....we feel that Jahn is thinking progressively for the town of Austerlitz."

"Jahn has served the people of Austerlitz well and we see no reason why he should not be elected to another term."

Read More: Jahn Thinks Progressively and the Full Endorsement

Register-Star Endorses Loretta Hoffmann for Taghkanic Supervisor

2009-10-23T00:55:00.001-04:00

"We are disturbed by the notion that Young would prefer to stay in favor with the Republicans rather than take a stand on an issue that will affect generations. Other incumbents have stood by their votes and decisions, even when they are not popular.

Hoffmann... will work with Republicans and Democrats. This promise is important on the town level as the Wilzig controversy comes to an end and is needed on the county level as well. Therefore we encourage Taghkanic residents to elect Loretta Hoffmann as their next town supervisor."

Read More: Hoffmann Wants T'kanic Super Job and the Full Endorsement

Register-Star Endorses Lee Jamison for Stuyvesant Supervisor

2009-10-21T23:03:00.001-04:00

"When Jamison ran for Town Board in 2007, we endorsed her. We are happy to do so for town supervisor as we believe she can make things happen in Stuyvesant. Someone has to."

Read More: Jamison Wants Stuy' Super Seat and the Full Endorsement.

Register-Star Endorses Ed Nabozny for Greenport Supervisor

2009-10-16T23:48:00.002-04:00

The Register-Star has endorsed Ed Nabozny for Greenport Supervisor
"We feel Nabozny has the edge in this contest. His vision for the town is clear and he hopes that he can move the town in the right direction. He wants to make an impact on his community, including making it more pedestrian friendly and getting more residents involved in the town’s future. We endorsed Nabozny in his last bid and are pleased to do so again. Voters should elect Nabozny."

Read More: Nabozny: Town should get bigger share of county sales tax revenue
Read the full endorsement.

Register Endorses Clermont Supervisor Raymond Staats

2009-10-14T23:15:00.003-04:00

The Register-Star has endorsed Democrat Raymond Staats for Clermont Supervisor.

"Staats works to bring people together and be fair to everyone...Staats has served Clermont well and there is little doubt that he will continue to do so. He should be re-elected by Clermont residents."
Read more: Staats Wants Equal Taxes for All and the full endorsement in the Register-Star

Register-Star Endorses Robin Andrews and Art Bassin for Supervisor

2009-10-14T03:14:00.002-04:00

The Register-Star has endorsed Robin Andrews for Claverack Supervisor and Art Bassin for Ancram Supervisor.

In the first round of endorsements for the paper the endorsement of two Democratic challengers seeking to unseat Republican incumbents is noteworthy.

Roosevelt Legacy Endorses 10 Columbia Candidates

2009-10-09T03:19:00.015-04:00

Ten Democratic candidates in Columbia County have received campaign grants and endorsements from the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee.

The grants awarded to the 10 total $3,550, reported the Columbia County Democratic Committee, in announcing the endorsements.

Founded in 2001 with the mission of increasing women’s participation in government, the ERLC was designed to build a new generation of Democratic women candidates, informed voters and activists in New York State.

Echoing the sentiments of all the recipients, Robin Andrews, who is running for supervisor in Claverack, said,

“The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee’s endorsement is very important support to my campaign. It demonstrates confidence in my ability to win this seat. I am extremely grateful to Eleanor’s Legacy.”

The 10 recipients and the offices they are running for are:

Robin Andrews, Claverack supervisor. Andrews, who lives in Philmont, has worked for the Village as a member of the Main Street Committee and the Local Development Corp, and currently as a trustee on the Village Board. She was a leader in the effort to keep Pine Haven in Philmont, and looks forward to bringing fresh energy and scrutiny to the decision-making process of the supervisors. She wants to get it right the first time.

Morgen Bowers, Town Board, Claverack. Bowers is a volunteer firefighter with the Churchtown Fire Company, farmer and attorney. She works at a law firm in Chatham and has an alpaca farm, Dreamwood Farm, in Churchtown.

Jessica Byrne, Justice, New Lebanon. Byrne is a litigation attorney who also holds a master’s degree in criminal justice. She has criminal and civil trial experience and is looking to bring her experience, legal knowledge, and strong sense of ethical responsibility to the New Lebanon Town Court.

Landra Haber, Town Clerk/Tax Collector, Chatham. Haber served for 13 years as the only Town of Chatham resident on the Ichabod Crane Central School Board of Education. Her professional experience includes a variety of positions in the nonprofit and education arenas, including the New York State Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (CASANYS).

Lee Jamison, Supervisor, Stuyvesant. Jamison comes from a dairy family in Orange County and holds a master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University. She provides psychiatric services to adults with developmental disabilities. An active community worker, she is secretary of the Kinderhook Library Board of Trustees and serves on the MRDD Subcommittee of the County Community Services Board. In Stuyvesant she volunteers for the Rail Station Restoration Committee, Farmers Market and Recreation Committee.

Nancy Thomas, Town Clerk, Stuyvesant. Thomas has worked in state government and the private sector and has owned her own business; currently, she is a supervisor at the Times Union. She is active in several volunteer organizations, including the PAX student exchange program and the Red Cross, and served in lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks.

Michelle Richardson, Town Board, Stuyvesant. Richardson, who also grew up on a family dairy farm in Orange County, holds a degree in electrical engineering from SUNY New Paltz. She assisted Stuyvesant residents with analysis and research regarding their property re-vals and in preparing for Grievance Day. Her priority is to keep Stuyvesant affordable by supporting fair, transparent assessments and responsible spending. With 14 years in project management roles in the high-tech field, she looks to put her analysis and problem-solving skills to work for Stuyvesant.

Audrey Koran, Town Clerk, Taghkanic. Koran has decades of administrative experience that includes the creation and management of budgets and financial records, document research, and data organizing and reporting. She seeks to modernize the methods and systems the town uses and to employ the latest technology for reporting and maintaining records.

Nancy Moore, Town Board, Clermont. Moore has worked for Taconic Farms in Germantown for more than 20 years and also works on her own family farm. She is involved in the community through the Columbia County Farm Bureau and as a Sunday School teacher.

Meg Robertson, Supervisor, New Lebanon. Robertson served on the Town Board for eight years and is completing her first term as supervisor. She looks to continue to serve the town’s residents “with compassion and fairness,” aware of the economic challenges they face.

Since its founding, the ERLC has helped elect more than 400 women to state and local office across New York State and equipped more than 600 women with the skills they need to run and win. This year it endorsed 150 female Democratic candidates across the state.

Thank You!

Columbia County Democrats Re-Elect Officers

2009-10-06T10:31:00.005-04:00

The Columbia County Democratic Committee held its annual organization meeting recently. By unanimous vote, the committee’s officers were re-elected for another two-year term.

They are:

Christopher Nolan
Chair

Cyndy Hall
1st Vice-Chair

Robert Sacks
2nd Vice-Chair

Dale Stewart
Secretary

Carol Sacks
Treasurer

More at Register-Star

Columbia County Primaries 2009

2009-09-16T10:09:00.046-04:00

There were several primary elections in the city and towns of the county that will be of interest to

Columbia County Democrats

City of Hudson

There was only one Democratic Primary in all of Columbia County, that was in Hudson. There were two seats open for Alderman in Hudson's Common Council representing the 1st Ward. In a three way race for the two seats, Sarah Sterling has won the Democratic Primary. She also has the Independence Party line in November. Sarah served previously as 1st Ward Alderman in 2006 and 2007.
The second 1st Ward alderman seat is too close to call. Geeta Cheddie received 44 votes and Carole Osterink 42. There are a number of absentee votes. We will post results as soon as they become available.
Update: Geeta Cheddie has won the race for the second Alderman seat by one vote. The final vote total were Sterling 55, Cheddie 47 and Osterink 46. Congratulations to Ms. Sterling and Ms. Cheddie.

In the 4th Ward Supervisor race it appears that Supervisor William Hughes Jr has won the Independence Party line. Mr Hughes has previously been endorsed by the Hudson City Democratic Comittee and the Working Families Party

More at Hudson City Democrats

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Town of Copake

Current Copake Town Justice Brian J. Herman won the Independence line with 19 votes to William Kane's 17 votes. Herman was also endorsed by the Democratic Party.

In the race for Assessor, Loredana Delventhal won the Independence Party line with 16 votes to current assessor David Gordineer’s 14. Delventhal was also endorsed by the Democrats in her bid for town assessor.

More Info at Copake Democrats

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Town of Taghkanic:

There were a number of races in Taghkanic where the Democratic candidate picked up additional lines on the ballot this November. Most of these were against long entrenched candidates.

In the 2009 Independence Party Primary election, Loretta Hoffman scored a decisive victory with 13 votes over incumbent town Supervisor Elizabeth Young’s two. Hoffman also has the backing of the Taghkanic Democrats and the Working Families Party.

In the Independence Party race for Town Clerk/Tax Collector the vote was 10 votes for Audrey Koran with 5 for her challenger Cheryl E. Rogers

In the races for the 2 open town council seats. One position was won by Larry Kadish, with 13 votes. Joyce Thompson with 9 votes appears to have taken the 2nd seat on the Independence Party line. Mr. Kadish and Ms. Thompson have previously been nominated to run by the Taghkanic Democrats and will also appear on the Democratic line. The other candidates were Tom Keiley with 3 votes with 1 vote for Joe Romaine.

For Highway Superintendent Tom Youhas has won a slot on the Independence Party line. with 10 votes to Republican Edward Waldron's 3 votes. Mr. Youhas already also has the backing of the Taghkanic Democrats.

In the race for Taghkanic Democratic Committee, the winners scored a decisive victory. They were Gary L. Stoller, with 100 votes, and Diane M. Rodriguez, with 96 votes over Cheryl E. Rogers, the previous Chair of the Committee wiho received 29 votes.

More at Taghkanic Democrats

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