Millerton News Coverage Area Election Results

HARLEM VALLEY — Voters headed to the polls in full force on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, to select their choice of candidates to a wide range of political positions. While final numbers are still being verified by the Dutchess County Board of Elections (BOE), the board has released unofficial results, which follow below.

Amenia

In Amenia, 922 total votes were cast townwide. The race for town supervisor was run by current town Councilwoman and Deputy Supervisor Victoria Perotti (R, C, I) and current town Supervisor Bill Flood. Flood, who lost the Republican primary, ran a write-in campaign. Perotti won with  533 votes, while Flood earned 291. 

The two town councilman seats up for grabs, for four-year terms, were won by Michael Delango (R), with 532 votes and incumbent Gretchen Hitselberger (R), with 464 votes. Cheryl Morse (D) earned 305 votes while P. Damian Gutierrez (GGV) earned 143 votes.

The battle for the unexpired councilman seat was won by Stephen Perotti (son of Victoria Perotti), with 424 to challenger William Kroeger’s 309 votes.

The town justice race between incumbent Jim Devine (R) and challenger Donald Cummings (C, I) had generated much attention. Devine earned 564 votes while Cummings earned 279.

Amenia Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner (D), the unopposed incumbent, earned 584 votes. Incumbent Town Superintendent of Highways Stanley Whitehead (R, I) was re-elected with 734 votes; he, too, was unchallenged in his campaign.

North East

Incumbent town Supervisor John Merwin (D, WF, I) handily won his unopposed race for re-election with 438 votes out of 558 ballots cast in the town.

The race for the town clerk’s position between Planning, Building and Zoning Department Secretary Lisa Cope and Deputy Town Clerk Ellen Owens garnered high voter participation. Cope won the election with 364 votes to Owens’ 180 votes; in total 544 votes were cast in the town clerk’s race out of 558 total votes cast townwide during the 2013 election cycle.

Two town councilman seats were up for election this year; both were sought by incumbents and both are on the board again. Steven Merwin (R) earned 338 votes while Jim Campbell (R) earned 365 votes.

The uncontested race for town justice was won by incumbent Casey McCabe (D), who earned 355 votes. The town assessor’s seat was also up for election; incumbent Katherine Johnson (D, R) was the sole candidate this year. She earned 466 votes.

Pine Plains

The race for town supervisor, between incumbent Brian Coons (D) and former town Councilwoman Dorean Gardner (R), was a heated one in Pine Plains. Out of 760 votes cast in the town, Coons swept the election, earning 468 votes, compared to Gardner’s 241. A total of 709 votes were cast in the race for the supervisor’s position.

Two town councilman seats were up for election this year, both four-year terms. Richard Brenner (R) earned the most votes, with 461. Gary Cooper (R) came in second place with 389 votes. Incumbent Rosemary Lyons-Chase (D) will not return to the board as she earned 304 votes, nor will Richard “Dick” Hermans (D), as he came in fourth place with 260 votes.

The position of town justice was unopposed, and sought by incumbent Louis Imperato (D, R, C, I). Imperato earned 681 votes in favor of him retaining his seat. Incumbent Scott Chase (D, R) will remain one of the town’s three assessors, as he earned 557 votes in favor of him doing so.

Washington

Two seats were up for election on the Washington Town Board, with two incumbents seeking to return to their posts. Councilwoman Karen Mosca (R) was re-elected with 464 votes while Councilman Stephen Turletes (R) was re-elected with 471 votes.

Townwide 734 voters participated in this year’s election.

The town of Washington re-elected Town Justice Bruce Aubin (R) to his seat, with 498 votes cast in his favor. 

County results

The race for the Dutchess County Legislature District 19, which covers North East, Pine Plains, Milan and Stanford, was run by incumbent Debra Blalock (D, WF, I) and former Pine Plains town Supervisor A. Gregg Pulver (R, C). Of the 2,903 ballot cast by district voters, 1,522 were in favor of Pulver, the victor, while 1,225 were in favor of Blalock.

Though there will be a shift in leadership in the 19th District, the 25th Legislative District will remain that same. That’s because incumbent Michael Kelsey (R, C, I) ran unopposed. District 25 encompasses Amenia, Stanford, Washington and Pleasant Valley.  Of the 2,116 ballots cast by district voters, 1,432 supported Kelsey’s run for re-election.

The race for family court judge pitted Lisa Rubenstein (D, WF, G) against Joseph Egitto (R, C, I). Egitto won that contest with 24,274 votes compared to Rubenstein’s 22,981 votes.

The comptroller’s election was run only by incumbent James Coughlan (R, C, I), who won his bid to return to office with 32,100 votes out of 50,907 cast county wide.

Local propositions

The town of Washington’s Proposition Number One, to extend the length of the town supervisor’s term from two years to four years, was approved. Out of 734 votes townwide, 427 voters were in favor of the measure while 244 were against it.

The town of Pine Plains Proposition Number One, to authorize the acquisition of the library building for $1 million through $500,000 of serial bonds and $500,000 of donations, to be repaid over time, was also approved. Out of 760 votes townwide, the measure passed with 432 voters in favor of it and 224 against it.

Statewide amendments

There were six statewide amendments up for vote at the ballots this year. All but one passed.

Proposal Number One was an amendment for casino gaming, and out of 50,907 ballots cast in the county, 27,941 voted in favor of the measure while 18,911 voted against it.

Proposal Number Two was an amendment for additional civil service credit for veterans with disabilities to be certified post appointment. Out of the 50,907 ballots cast, 37,366 voted in favor of the amendment while 7,335 voted against it.

Proposal Number Three was an amendment for the exclusion of indebtedness contracted for sewage facilities. Of the 50,907 ballots cast, 23,155 voted in favor of the measure while 18,071 voted against it.

Proposal Number Four was an amendment settling the disputed title in the forest preserve. Out of the 50,907 ballots cast in the county, 30,266 voted in favor of it while 11,197 voted against it.

Proposal Number Five was an amendment in relation to a land exchange in the state forest preserve with NYCO Minerals, Inc. Out of the 50,907 ballots cast, 22,583 voted in favor of it while 19,128 voted against it.

Proposal Number Six was an amendment increasing the age until which certain state judges can serve. Of the 50,907 ballots cast in the county, 16,456 voted in favor of it while 27,515 voted against it.

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