Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman Democrat Jen Metzger soundly defeated Republican Jim Quigley in the race for Ulster County executive, November 8. Quigley conceded the race shortly after 10:30 p.m. on election night, after it became clear that he would be unable to overcome Metzger's lead. By the end of the night, with all precincts reporting, Metzger had bested Quigley, 42,069 to 33,349. In his concession speech, Quigley blasted Metzger, a former state senator, accusing her of lacking the relevant experience to lead the county. “We ran a campaign on the basis of integrating and getting the towns to work closely with the county and we now have a county executive who has absolutely no operating experience. So God bless the United States,” he told supporters. Quigley is a certified public accountant by profession, and he has served as the town of Ulster's supervisor since 2010. He ran unsuccessfully for county comptroller in 2008. Metzger is a former Rosendale town board member who served in the state Senate from 2019 to 2020. She is currently serving on the New York state Cannabis Control Board as well as the Ulster County Land Bank. Metzger is expected to resign from those positions once she takes office. Metzger and Quigley were running to fill the unexpired term of former Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, who left office in September to serve in the U.S. Congress. Metzger has said she would focus on increasing the county’s housing stock by using the land bank to help turn foreclosed properties into the workforce and affordable housing and called for stricter regulations on short-term rentals, which she said, “need to be owned by private people.” She also wants the county to prioritize mental health services for youth and has called interdepartmental coordination key to a holistic approach to meeting individual needs. Metzger said she would work to expand mental health resources throughout the county. She is expected to be sworn in as county executive after the Ulster County Board of Elections certifies the election results. Metzger will serve through Dec. 31, 2023. Read more in the Daily Freeman.