Cunningham elected Bethlehem supervisor
BY JIM CUOZZO
Team Cunningham won four of the six contested seats in the Town of Bethlehem including the race for supervisor and control of the town board.
Jack Cunningham defeated Jim Grady for Town Supervisor with a total of 5958 votes to Grady’s 3058 with 29 out of 30 districts reporting.
Cunningham, a Democrat, ran a campaign that pledged to continue the projects former supervisor Terri Egan began when he was appointed in April to replace Egan who left for a state appointed position.
I am humbled by the fact that voters have the confidence in me to put me in office for a two year term and I thank them, said Cunningham, celebrating his win at the Nathaniel Blanchard VFW Post in Delmar with town democrats and supporters.
`We had a ton of people who worked on this campaign and everyone did a terrific job`.
In the race for town board Democrat Mark Hennessey and Independence candidate Joann Dawson defeated Republicans Melody Burns and Art Scheuermann for two open seats. Once again with 29 out of 30 districts reporting it was Hennessey the top vote getter with 5085 votes, followed by Dawson with 4688, Burns with 3920, and Scheuermann with 3239 votes.
`I feel very thankful for all the people that came out to support me and the other candidates and I am enthusiastic and hopeful about the future of our town,` Hennessey said.
Joann Dawson who was appointed to the town board in January gets to keep her seat with the election night victory.
`It feels great,` said Dawson, who celebrated her win alongside her husband Charles Dawson Jr., who was also re-elected to another term as Albany County legislator in the 35th district.
`It’s extremely rewarding to have the residents express their confidence to allow me to stay four more years,` said Joann Dawson.
Democrat Paul Dwyer won another term as town justice defeating Dan Persing with 62 percent of the vote. Republican incumbent Kathy Newkirk was a victor over Denis Foley with 56 percent of the vote to Foley’s 44 percent. Republican Nancy Mendick won re-election as town receiver of taxes over Patti Parsons by a vote of 5474 for Mendick to 3496 for Parsons.
In the races for county legislator affecting Bethlehem voters it was Democrat Thomas Cotrofeld over Jared King in the 34th district with Cotrofeld unofficially receiving 1215 votes to King’s 769 with 29 out of 30 districts reporting.
`I am very honored voters in the Town of Bethlehem have enough confidence in me to be there advocate in the legislature,` said Cotrofeld who pledged to work hard on this years county budget and to move forward on a rail trail for the town of Bethlehem.
In the 35th district county seat Charles Dawson defeated Mitch Goldstein with a total of 1651 votes for Dawson to 896 for Goldstein.
Democrat Howard Shafer was leading Richard Mendick in the race for 36th district legislator with 758 votes for Shafer to 729 votes for Mendick with one district left to report. Dorsey the Independence candidate had 130 votes.
Michael Breslin easily won another term as Albany County executive defeating challenger Roger Cusick.
`I want to thank all the people who worked so hard on my campaign and all the county workers,` said Breslin. `We accomplished a lot, but I am looking forward to the coming challenges`.
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