Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media that Democrats swept the Ravena village elections last week by voting for Republicans. The candidates running as Democrats got more than 70 percent of the vote there, even though two of the candidates were Republicans. Incumbent Mayor Bill Misuraca, Trustee Linda Muller, and Trustee-elect Caitlin Appleby will be sworn into office at the village board’s April 5 meeting. In January at the Republican caucus, Dominic Ruggeri got 24 votes to beat the incumbent Republican Misuraca's 12 to get the GOP nomination for mayor. The next day, all 42 Democrats at their caucus backed Misuraca. In the March election, the Republican Misuraca, running as a Democrat, won 81.5 percent of the vote. Caitlin Appleby was nominated by Republicans for trustee at the caucus, and the next day was also nominated by Democrats. Appleby appeared on both ballot lines at the March election, but after getting the Democratic nomination Republicans withdrew their support and did not include her in any campaigning or promotional materials. Appleby got 85.7 percent of the vote March 15. Linda Muller, the only true Democrat in the contest, got 76.7 percent of the vote. “The big number is the actual voter turnout — to have 665 people, which is much higher than we normally get — I was very happy to see the turnout. It means that people care,” Misuraca said. Read more about this story at TheUpstater.com.