Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Aymar-Blair edges ahead in Comptroller race; Hinchey, Barrett win

A previous version of this article reported early, unofficial results of the county comptroller race which did not include absentee and mail-in ballots.

MILLERTON — Democratic incumbents State Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assemblymember Didi Barrett won reelection on Tuesday, Nov. 5., according to unofficial results of the Dutchess County Board of Elections.

State Sen. Hinchey, D-41, outpaced Republican challenger Patrick Sheehan with 55% of the vote compared to Sheehan’s 45%. Assemblymember Barrett, D-106, defeated Republican challenger Stephan Krakower by 54% to 45%.

As of Friday morning, Nov. 15, Democrat challenger Dan Aymar-Blair was ahead of Republican A. Gregg Pulver by 850 votes in the race for county Comptroller, according to the Board of Elections.

Pulver, a Republican, was appointed Comptroller in November 2023 by then County Executive William F.X. O’Neill following the resignation of Robin Lois.

The Board of Elections is scheduled to certify the 2024 elections on Nov. 30, and continues to count affidavit and military ballots as well as mail-in ballots.

Municipal elections were held in North East, Amenia, Millbrook and Stanford.

In North East, Republican Christopher L. Mayville, a current Town Board member, defeated Democrat Rachele Grieco Cole by a margin of 53% to 47%. The election was for an unexpired term on the Board.

In Amenia, Nicole Ahearn, a Republican, defeated Charlie Miller, a Democrat challenging her for her seat. Ahearn had 55% of the vote, compared to Miller’s 45%

In Millbrook, Peter Doro was elected Mayor with 95% of the vote in an uncontested race. In a race for two seats as Millbrook Village Trustees, Democrat Julia Bucklin received 27% of the vote and Republican Elizabeth Molella Socci won 24.95%. Democrat Shannon Mawson trailed with 24.75%. Republican Kay Vanderlyn Ulrich won 23% of the vote.

In Stanford, Adrienne Zetterberg, a Republican, won election for an unexpired term on the Town Board by 50% to 49%, defeating Democrat Theodore Eagleson Secor.

Amenia voters also approved a proposal on the ballot to increase the town’s contribution to the operating budget of the Amenia Free Library by a 60% to 40% margin.

Similarly, voters in North East voted 72% to 28% to increase the level of support for the NorthEast-Millerton Libary in Millerton.
A third proposition, which was before voters in the Town of Washington to increase the contribution of the town to the Millbrook Library, also passed by a 56% to 44% vote.

A New York State proposal, called Prop One, also passed by a 57% to 43% margin in Dutchess County. The proposal protects against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability and sex.

All results are unofficial as ballots continue to be counted.

Latest News

Historic dairy barn offers new retail space in Wassaic

Maggie Bahr stands in her new permanent space on Main Street in Wassaic, a 900-square-foot retail space where she will sell produce and home goods, on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Photo by Graham Corrigan

WASSAIC — An organic food and produce vendor has opened a permanent space in the Wassaic Commons farmers market.

Maggie’s Delivery Service, a produce and home goods business run by Maggie Bahr, has had a stall as part of the market since it opened this past summer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Planning Board hears public comment on Cascade Creek subdivision application

Residents aired comments on the Cascade Creek subdivision application during a public hearing convened by the Amenia Planning Board on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — About 80 residents gathered in Town Hall for a public hearing on Cascade Creek, a 26-unit housing development being considered by the Planning Board. Holding the hearing open until Wednesday, Nov. 11, to allow for the gathering of any additional written comments, the Planning Board agreed to meet with the developer in the interim to discuss residents’ concerns.

Proposed by the Poughkeepsie nonprofit Hudson River Housing, the 24-acre site on Cascade Road would be divided into 26 residential lots to be used for single family workforce housing, modular in design, on quarter-acre lots. The homes would be sold to first-time home buyers who would each be eligible for funding to assist with mortgage down payments.

Keep ReadingShow less
Flock Safety begins removing county’s license plate readers

Flock Safety license plate readers in Millerton, Pine Plains and Amenia have been removed, but others remain standing elsewhere in Dutchess County after the county’s Oct. 25 removal deadline.

The three local cameras came down by Monday, Oct. 26, following county officials’ September decision to discontinue the surveillance system amid public opposition over privacy concerns.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Millerton police officer wins ‘Life Saving Award’

MILLERTON — Local police officer Erik Breen recently won a Life Saving Award for his response to an attempted suicide in October 2025.

Breen was patrolling the Irondale Cemetery on Oct. 2, 2025, when he encountered a group of people in distress. Upon approaching the group, he was informed that a 95-year-old man was suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck from a suicide attempt, according to a nomination statement provided to the Millerton News by Millerton Police Chief Joe Olenik.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton farmer adopts ‘virtual fencing,’ ditching fence posts and wires for GPS

Jason Culver feeds a bull a cookie during a visit to one of his leased pastures on Downey Road in Millerton on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON — Cattle grazing without a visible fence at the former Kaplan dairy farm on Route 22 have prompted calls from passing motorists and visits from police. But farmer Jason Culver says the cows are right where he wants them.

The Millerton beef producer is using GPS-enabled collars to keep his cattle within boundaries he draws on his cellphone. When a cow approaches the invisible boundary, its collar sounds a warning. If it keeps going, it receives an electric shock.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trunk-or-treat draws crowds in Millerton and Amenia

NorthEast-Millerton Library representatives had mini-axe throwing and a goody dispenser for visitors at Millerton’s Festival of Frights held on Halloween night.

Photo by Nathan Miller

Photo by Nathan Miller

Trick-or-treaters depart a home on Simmons Street after picking up candy.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.