County Races Few and Far Between

Just 10 Contested Races in Eight of 24 Towns

By DARLA M. YOUNGS
OTESGO COUNTY

Thanks to an influx of letters to the editor, and a “first look” at the candidates published on September 7 (https://www.allotsego.com/basile-benton-open-up-about-themselves-co-clerk-position/), readers of “The Freeman’s Journal,” “Hometown Oneonta” and AllOtsego.com are well aware by now of the race for Otsego County clerk between current Deputy Clerk Jennifer Basile (REP, CON) and MacGuire Benton (DEM, CSE).

With Election Day less than a month away, there’s no time like the present to take a look at what other choices voters will have to make at the polls this year.

Out of the 14 Otsego County representative positions up for election, only one is a contested race.

That would be District 11 (Oneonta City-Wards 1 and 2), where Nora Mendez, a Democrat, is running against Republican Paul Ahearn to fill the seat being vacated by Democrat Clark Oliver.

The City of Oneonta has four active races for its eight council member positions. In Ward 3, Shannon McHugh (DEM) is running against Daniel Rorick (REP) to fill the seat currently held by David Rissberger; in Ward 5, Donald Garrison Jr. is running against incumbent Leonard Carson Jr. (REP, BGO); in Ward 7, Bryce Wooden (DEM) is facing off against Sean Dwight (REP) for the seat now held by Edmond Overbey; and in Ward 8, James Peter Deandrea (REP) is running against incumbent Emily Falco (OUP).

In the 24 town races, 14 have slates of candidates who are running entirely uncontested. Six municipalities have seven positions with no candidates at all: Decatur, supervisor and two council members; Edmeston, town justice; Exeter, clerk/collector; Pittsfield, clerk/collector (unexpired term); and Westford, town justice.

Countywide, there are only 10 contested races in just eight of the county’s two dozen towns.
In Decatur, Richard Sawyer (BSA) and Jason Hornbeck (BSA) are facing off for the role of superintendent of highways. Johnathn Button (REP) and Joseph Chesebro (BRO) are running for superintendent of highways for the Town of Edmeston and Steven A. Baker (REP) and Randy S. Brooker (CON, BRK) are seeking that position in the Town of Exeter. All highway superintendent positions are up for grabs, as the current highway superintendents chose not to run again.

The Town of Hartwick has two contested races—current Supervisor Robert J. O’Brien (REP) is being challenged by Dylan Arnot (VPO), while Jason Blaske (REP), Bryan F. LoRusso (CON), Pat Ryan (PRY) and Thomas J. Murphy (REP) are running to fill two council member seats. In New Lisbon, incumbent Supervisor Edward T. Lentz (DEM, FRE) is facing Bruce J. Page Jr. (BPA).

The Town of Otsego has three candidates vying for two town justice positions—newcomer Lauren Cady Glynn (DEM, ILO) is up against current justices Jesse Torruella (REP) and Gary Kuch (DEM, ILO). Pittsfield has four candidates running for two council member spots: Lisa Jackson (REP), Kaylee Weidman (WEI), Clifford Carl Tice (REP) and Justin Weidman (WEI).

There are two races to watch in the Town of Richfield, as Larry Frigault (REP, RRI) and Paul Palumbo (CON) battle for supervisor and four hopefuls have thrown their hats in the ring for two council member spots—Frederick Eckler (REP, CON), outgoing supervisor Dan Sullivan (RRI), Edward T. Bello Jr. (REP, CON) and Penny Simonds-Tibbits (RRI).

Two proposals being voted upon next month in Otsego County, both amendments to Article 8 of the Constitution.

Proposal Number One concerns the removal of small city school districts from special constitutional debt limitation. “The proposed amendment to Article 8, section 4 of the Constitution removes the special constitutional debt limitation now placed on small city school districts, so they will be treated the same as all other school districts.”

Proposal Number Two is to extend sewage project debt exclusion from debt limit: “The proposed amendment to Article 8, section 5 of the Constitution extends for ten years the authority of counties, cities, towns, and villages to remove from their constitutional debt limits debt for the construction of sewage facilities.”

Last but not least, voters will choose either Deirdre Hay (DEM) or Cheryl Insinga (REP) as Supreme Court justice for the Sixth Judicial District, which encompasses all of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties. The winner will fill the vacancy created by the pending retirement of Broome County-based State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Tait.

For those unfamiliar with some of the less commonly used party affiliations listed above, BGO is Better Government, OUP is Oneonta Upwards, BSA is Buzz Saw, CSE is Customer Service, BRO is Better Roads, BRK is Brooker, VPO is Vox Populi, PRY is Pat Ryan, FRE is Freedom, BPA is Bruce Page, ILO is I Love Otsego, WEI is Weidman, and RRI is Renew Richfield.

To run for office on a line other than an official party line, a candidate must file an independent nominating petition. Any registered voter, who has not already signed a petition, and who is qualified to vote for that office, may sign an independent petition for that office. All independent candidates must file a Certificate of Acceptance. According to Commissioner of Elections Michael Hen-rici, independent bodies can become constituted parties by nominating a candidate for governor or president who gets at least two percent of the total votes cast, or 130,000 votes, whichever is greater. The current constituted parties in New York State are the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Working Families parties.

Election Day is November 7. Early voting begins October 28 and ends November 5.