DELMAR – Bethlehem Democratic candidates swept in all town races in this year’s general election held on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Most of the races were uncontested, but the two to watch, Bethlehem Town Council and Bethlehem Highway Superintendent, were not close.
Town Supervisor David Vanluven won another two-year term and Receiver of Taxes Alicia Roney won another four-year term. For town clerk, Kimberley Whitsitt won a two-year term replacing Nanci Moquin who is retiring. All of those seats were uncontested.
In the town board contest for a four-year term, Joyce Becker won re-election for her third term and first-time candidate Thomas Schnurr won the second seat to replace Daniel Coffey, who did not seek reelection. Republican Theresa O’Neil came in third in voting and Uniting Bethlehem Party Candidate Kellin Rowlands came in fourth. Rowlands was on the ballot after beating back petition challenges from both Democrats initially by winning a case in court brought by the Board of Elections. The BOE also lost an appeal in the case, which put Rowlands on the ballot.
The two Democrats received almost twice the votes of either O’Neil or Rowlands.
In the battle for Highway Superintendent, incumbent Marc Dorsey won with 62 percent of the vote to 37 percent for Craig Sleurs.
“I would say that Tuesday’s election sent a strong message that residents are happy with town and county leadership,” Bethlehem Democratic chair Joanne Cunningham said. “The results speak volumes that we are doing a good job.”
County Seats
In addition to the re-election of County Executive Dan McCoy and County Sheriff Craig Apple, who both were unopposed, the Democrats swept all the Bethlehem County Legislature seats.
Cunningham, in District 34, and William Reinhardt, in District 33, both were unopposed and won four-year terms.
In District 35, Jeffrey Kuhn took 70 percent of the vote to win against Republican Mitchell Goldstein.
The closest race in the town was in District 36 where incumbent Democrat Matt Miller won over Terran O’Brien by less than 300 votes.
One of the factors of the race was the turnout. Almost 10,500 votes were cast, in a year where there was not a contest for supervisor or a local referendum on the ballot.
In 2021, there was a race for supervisor and a ballot question to fund the Delaware Avenue Complete Streets project. Almost 12,000 residents voted.
“Bethlehem residents are pretty habitual and strong voters,” Cunningham said.
There were absentee and affidavit ballots outstanding on Friday, and the BOE said they will be counted this week. The results in each race with more than one candidate are below.
Town Board (two seats)
Joyce H. Becker 6,728 37.40%
Thomas A. Schnurr 6,708 37.29%
Theresa A. O’Neil 3,535 19.65%
Kellin P. Rowlands 959 5.33%
WRITE-IN 58.32%
Highway Superintendent
Marc E. Dorsey 6,491 62.11%
Craig M. Sleurs 3,939 37.69%
WRITE-IN 21.20%
Albany County Legislature
District 35
Jeffrey D. Kuhn 1,804 71.08%
Mitchell S. Goldstein 733 28.88%
District 36
Matthew J. Miller 1,255 56.58%
Taran L. O’Brien 961 43.33%
