Amanda Purcell reports for Columbia-Greene Media that after ballot challenges and absentee vote counting, Democrats won two seats on the Ghent town board, and a Democrat and Independence Party candidate won seats in Claverack. In Ghent there were more than 100 absentee and affidavit ballots challenged Nov. 22 by the parties, but never brought to court. When all the votes were counted, Democrat incumbent Patti Matheney won with 1,032 votes, and Democrat Koethi Zan won her first term on the Ghent Town Council with 1,005 votes. Republicans Craig Simmons and Peter Nelson Sr. finished out of the running, with 995 and 973 votes, respectively. In Claverack Democrat Katy Cashen won re-election and George Duntz, of the Independence Party, also won a seat. They beat Republican Lisa Bowe and Democrat Ian Solomon, though vote totals were not released. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.