WGXC-90.7 FM
Primary election results
Jun 25, 2019 9:35 pm
The Columbia County Board of Elections reports unofficial results for the June 25 primary elections. Challenger Kamal Johnson beat incumbent Hudson Mayor Rick Rector in the Democratic primary, almost two-to-one, by a margin of 678-to-354. Johnson spoke with WGXC's Dan Seward at a victory party at Half Moon in Hudson after the polls closed. PLAY BRIEF EXCERPT OF KAMAL JOHNSON. While Johnson beat Rector for the Democratic nomination, Rector is also running as a Republican, setting up a rematch in the mayoral election in November. About an hour and a half after polls closed, Rector posted on Facebook, "I telephoned Kamal earlier and offered my sincere congratulations...Well done!" In the other citywide contest, incumbent Common Council President Tom DePietro beat Rob Bujan 546-to-412 for the Democratic nomination for the same post. Bujan, who will also again be on the ballot against DePietro as a Republican in November, wrote on Facebook after he lost that, "We can still do this. The general election is in November and I will continue to fight for the people of Hudson." DePietro speaking with WGXC afterwards at Half Moon said, PLAY BRIEF EXCERPT OF TOM DePIETRO. If Johnson wins in November he would be Hudson's first African-American mayor. Johnson and DePietro are both volunteer WGXC programmers.
In the other Hudson Democratic primary elections, in the First Ward, Rebecca Wolff and Jane Trombley won with 162 votes, and 134 votes, respectively. Ginna Moore finished third with 97 votes, followed by Adam Weinert, who recently pulled out of the race though his name was on the ballot, with 55 votes. In the Second Ward, Hudson Democrats had two elections. In the primary for supervisor with Willette Jones against Abdus Miah, it is too close to call, with 99 votes for Jones and 101 for Miah, with many absentee votes uncounted. For Alderperson in the Second Ward, incumbent Tiffany Garriga and Dewon Sarower were the two top vote-getters receiving the Democratic nominations with 118 and 103 votes, respectively. Challenger Mohammed M. Rony has 97 votes, so absentee ballots may decide this contest. In the Third Ward, Calvin G. Lewis Jr. (135 votes) and Shershah Mizan (132) won the two seats available over John Darby (73) and Rafael Pimentel (66). In the Fourth Ward, incumbent Rich Volo appears to have lost, with only 74 votes, to challengers Malachi Walker (134) and John Rosenthal (83), though that is close enough that absentee ballots may decide the election. In the Fifth Ward Democratic Committee Member election, Verity Smith and Kate Treacy are tied with 67 votes for two spots, while Randall Martin received 50 votes, with one additional write-in vote, and an unknown number of absentee ballots to be counted. County election officials also report 97 undervotes in this election.
In Greene County, Republicans backed Peter J. Kusminsky for sheriff with 387 votes to just 31 for Diana Benoit. The only other primary in Greene County was in Windham, where Shawn D. Marriott got 51 votes, George F. Deckers received 46 votes, Stephen D. Tirpak got 37 votes, and Brian W. Goff got 31 votes on the Independence Party line for town supervisor.
In Gallatin's Independence Party primary for town justice Shane C. Bower received nine votes, to only six for Tia S. Denenberg. On the Conservative Party line, Bower beat Denenberg six votes to one. In Chatham, Conservative Party members cast 14 votes for Richard Hallock for town supervisor and none for Maria Lull. In Kinderhook, Green Party members cast five write-in votes for town supervisor and three write-in votes for town council. In the Kinderhook Independence Party primary, Patsy Leader got 81 votes for town supervisor, with 32 write-in votes. On the Conservative Party line, Leader got 35 votes, with three write-ins for others for town supervisor. Conservative Party members in Kinderhook also cast four write-in votes for town justice, and Green Party members cast five write-in votes for town supervisor and three write-in votes for town council. In New Lebanon, the Independence Party had just Louis "Bud" Godfroy III on the ballot, and he got just four votes for town supervisor, with 29 write-in votes cast for others. And there were 31 write-in votes cast for New Lebanon town clerk on the Independence Party line. There were also six write-in votes for town clerk in New Lebanon on the Green Party line.
In the other Hudson Democratic primary elections, in the First Ward, Rebecca Wolff and Jane Trombley won with 162 votes, and 134 votes, respectively. Ginna Moore finished third with 97 votes, followed by Adam Weinert, who recently pulled out of the race though his name was on the ballot, with 55 votes. In the Second Ward, Hudson Democrats had two elections. In the primary for supervisor with Willette Jones against Abdus Miah, it is too close to call, with 99 votes for Jones and 101 for Miah, with many absentee votes uncounted. For Alderperson in the Second Ward, incumbent Tiffany Garriga and Dewon Sarower were the two top vote-getters receiving the Democratic nominations with 118 and 103 votes, respectively. Challenger Mohammed M. Rony has 97 votes, so absentee ballots may decide this contest. In the Third Ward, Calvin G. Lewis Jr. (135 votes) and Shershah Mizan (132) won the two seats available over John Darby (73) and Rafael Pimentel (66). In the Fourth Ward, incumbent Rich Volo appears to have lost, with only 74 votes, to challengers Malachi Walker (134) and John Rosenthal (83), though that is close enough that absentee ballots may decide the election. In the Fifth Ward Democratic Committee Member election, Verity Smith and Kate Treacy are tied with 67 votes for two spots, while Randall Martin received 50 votes, with one additional write-in vote, and an unknown number of absentee ballots to be counted. County election officials also report 97 undervotes in this election.
In Greene County, Republicans backed Peter J. Kusminsky for sheriff with 387 votes to just 31 for Diana Benoit. The only other primary in Greene County was in Windham, where Shawn D. Marriott got 51 votes, George F. Deckers received 46 votes, Stephen D. Tirpak got 37 votes, and Brian W. Goff got 31 votes on the Independence Party line for town supervisor.
In Gallatin's Independence Party primary for town justice Shane C. Bower received nine votes, to only six for Tia S. Denenberg. On the Conservative Party line, Bower beat Denenberg six votes to one. In Chatham, Conservative Party members cast 14 votes for Richard Hallock for town supervisor and none for Maria Lull. In Kinderhook, Green Party members cast five write-in votes for town supervisor and three write-in votes for town council. In the Kinderhook Independence Party primary, Patsy Leader got 81 votes for town supervisor, with 32 write-in votes. On the Conservative Party line, Leader got 35 votes, with three write-ins for others for town supervisor. Conservative Party members in Kinderhook also cast four write-in votes for town justice, and Green Party members cast five write-in votes for town supervisor and three write-in votes for town council. In New Lebanon, the Independence Party had just Louis "Bud" Godfroy III on the ballot, and he got just four votes for town supervisor, with 29 write-in votes cast for others. And there were 31 write-in votes cast for New Lebanon town clerk on the Independence Party line. There were also six write-in votes for town clerk in New Lebanon on the Green Party line.