Unofficial polls in New Scotland show incumbent Supervisor Tom Dolin, a Democrat, winning a second term, along with cross-endorsed candidate Doug LaGrange and newcomer Daniel Mackay winning seats on the town board.
The trio ran as a team on the No Big-Box platform, as the candidates support a size cap of 50,000 square feet on retail buildings in the commercial zone.
`Hopefully this is a referendum on how the residents want the town to look in the future. I think the people have spoken,` Dolin said. `I want to thank every voter who came out.`
Dolin said he viewed the results as a statement by the public that they value the town’s rural character.
`They like the town the way it is, and they want to keep it that way,` he said.
Both parties spent Election Day at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Voorheesville, splitting the buildings by floor. The Republicans had the basement, while the non-partisan team had the upstairs.
Danial Mackay, who has never run for office before, said he was `stunned and pleased` by the election and looks forward to getting to work, serving the public.
`I am eager to serve the entire town,` Mackay, one of the founding members of the advocacy group New Scotlanders for Sound Economic Development, said.
Mackay works as the director of public policy of the Preservation League of New York state.
Mackay said its time to `move forward quickly and implement a size cap law for New Scotland,` which he said will be a lot of work.
He could not have dreamed of taking a shot at Town Board, Mackay said, but `when it came time, someone had to run for office.`
Mackay also called on his neighbors, and supporters to stay involved in the political process and he said an open and transparent process is something he will strive for.
`Please stay close,` he said. `Please stay involved.`
LaGrange said his opponents based their campaign on `common sense,` but let in too much emotion, personality and ideology. LaGrange said common sense comes from facts, studies and knowledge, and he will continue to use those factors as a town board member.
`Fortunately the common sense came from the voters,` LaGrange said.
He also thanked the voters, and commended everyone on the campaign for their hard work. He noted that he was happy to take a non-partisan approach, and as Dolin said during a speech shortly after the results were in, the town is facing issues that affect everyone, not just Republican’s or Democrats.
`We started to work together even before the Sphere issue and before the moratorium,` LaGrange said in a speech.
The town has enacted three moratoriums in the commercial zone thus far, totaling 18 months.
Mike Mackey, the town’s Democratic chairman, said he was overjoyed with the results and said he, like Dolin, sees the election as a referendum against big-box development.
`The public had a clear choice,` Mackey said.
The Republican team, congratulated their opponents in person with handshakes and hugs, as they need only make the trip upstairs to do so.
Mike Fields, Dolin’s opponent, said he was proud of the committee and the hard work that his running mates Roz Robinson and Tim Stanton put in. He said it was a good experience to go around town and meet the residents, as well.
`I don’t think they played very fair, but I wish them well,` Fields said. `I don’t feel we lost as much as I feel the town of New Scotland lost.`
Roz Robinson, who ran for town board, said she was disappointed, but proud of her running mates and her sister, Annie Brill, who helped with her campaign.
`The voters made a choice,` Robinson said. `I’m just glad we gave them a choice.`
She also said she was glad to be a part of an `honest, clean hard working campaign.`
Tim Stanton echoed the notion. `We ran a clean race,` he said.
Lance Luther, the Republican Party chairmen said he was proud of his candidates, and hoped for a cleaner campaign.
`I am disappointed that certain candidates engaged in negative advertising,a smear campaign and scare tactics in order to win this election. However, I want to commend Mike Fields, Roz Robinson and Tim Stanton for running a positive and energetic campaign,` Luther said. These candidates worked extremely hard and I think a great number of voters recognized that and appreciated their efforts. Unfortunately, in this election, the divisive and destructive actions by [New Scotlanders for Sound Economic Development] were rewarded, but I hope that town government can now get back to focusing on other important issues that affect our home of New
Scotland.`
According to information from the Albany County Board of Elections, the preliminary vote counts without absentee ballots show Dolin garnered 2,148 votes to Fields 1,087.
With seven out of the town’s eight districts reporting, LaGrange grabbed 2,196 votes, Mackay, 1,701, Robinson 1,108 and Stanton, 634.
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