Voters in many parts of Saratoga County went to the polls on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to select candidates for upcoming November local elections in races that either firmed up ballots or decided races entirely.
The important contests in most areas were for the Republican line, as many municipal governments in Saratoga County have heavily GOP representation and a high ratio of Republican voters. In some cases, a Republican primary decides the eventual winner, as other parties fail to field candidates.
As per New York election law, only members registered with a certain party may vote in its primary.
In Milton, three-term incumbent supervisor Frank Thompson will hold on to the Republican line after being snubbed by his town’s GOP Committee, which chose to endorse Planning Board member John Frolish earlier this year. Thompson will also appear on the Conservative line.
Also defeated was John Olenik, a retired regular at Town Board meetings. Thompson received 735 votes, Frolish 642 and Olenik 622.
Thompson and Frolish could not be reached for comment before press time.
Olenik said that while his message of long-term planning and growth had received a great response on the campaign trail, a meager turnout likely worked against him.
Obviously I’m disappointed with the results, but the people chose their candidate and they’re going to have to live with him, he said. `The campaign actually went excellent.but the turnout was very low.`
Thompson will face Democrat Meg Stevens in November. Stevens will also appear on the Independence and Working Families lines.
A situation not unlike the primary for the Milton supervisor line was also firmed up Tuesday, as two candidates out of four won the right to appear on the Republican line for Town Board seats in that town.
John Mancini and incumbent Frank Blaisdell`the endorsed choices`were the top two vote earners, leading incumbent Hollis Blodgett and Barbara Kerr.
Mancini garnered 1,051 votes and Blaisdell received 854 votes. Blodgett won over 560 voters and Kerr trailed with 389. Voters were allowed to select two candidates for this race.
The Independence Party line for town justice was also decided in Milton ` Mark Juda beat out incumbent Carlos Calderon III by eight votes to two.
In what was easily the tightest race of the night, Democrat choice George Seymour and Republican incumbent Mary Beth Hynes won the right to appear on the Independence Party lines in November’s Ballston Town Board election, both inching out Democrat Jeremy Knight by a single vote.
Seymour and Hynes received 32 votes, and Knight took in 31. Voters were allowed to choose two candidates. As their major party endorsements went unopposed, all three candidates will appear on November’s ballot.
In the City of Saratoga Springs, six votes cast by Working Families Party members won that line for Democratic Public Safety Commissioner hopeful Kevin Connelly over Republican Richard Wirth, and put Democrat Peter Martin on the line for Finance Commissioner over Republican incumbent Ken Ivins.
In both races, the vote split five votes to one.
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