Schenectady County

Multiple contests across Schenectady County, including races in Glenville, Rotterdam and Duanesburg

Town Board and County Legislature seats at stake across county
Voters cast their ballots during the first early elections at Niskayuna Town Hall in Niskayuna on Saturday, October 26, 2019.
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Voters cast their ballots during the first early elections at Niskayuna Town Hall in Niskayuna on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

SCHENECTADY COUNTY — Not all the political action in Schenectady County on Tuesday will be in the city of Schenectady.

From Glenville to Duanesburg, Town Board and County Legislature seats are being contested, though only Niskayuna has a contest for town supervisor.

In races for the County Legislature, in District 3 — Glenville, Scotia and Niskayuna — Democrat Sara Mae Pratt of Alplaus and Republican Richard C. Fritz Jr. of Niskayuna are competing for the remaining two years in the term of Rory Fluman, who resigned earlier this year to become county manager. Pratt now holds the seat by appointment.

In the regular election for two seats representing District 3, Democrats Thomas Constantine and Michelle Ostrelich, both incumbents from Niskayuna, face a Republican challenge from Julio Febo of Glenville.

In Dist. 4, which includes Rotterdam, Princetown and Glenville, two seats are contested, with Democrats Anthony Jasenski and Matthew Martin facing Republicans Eric R. Hess and Brian McGarry. Jasenski is the current Legislature chairman; McGarry is currently the only Republican serving in the 15-member legislature.

In Glenville, the Town Board race could shift the power dynamic on the board, which has three Republicans and two Democrats. There are two board seats up, with Republican incumbent Gina Wierzbowski running for re-election on a slate with James Martin, a former board member defeated in 2017. The Democrats are fielding Andrew Kohout, the village of Scotia’s public works superintendent, and Eric Buskirk.

Vote 2019: Your guide to Tuesday’s elections

Kohout’s village job has been an issue in the race, with Republicans charging he would have a conflict of interest; Democrats say his knowledge about how municipal infrastructure works would be an asset at the town level.

In Scotia, Democrat George Solotruck will compete for a village trustee seat with Maria Peterson, on the Republican and Revitalize Scotia lines.

In Rotterdam, where a Democrat-Conservartive coalition holds power, incumbent Town Board members Evan Christou and Samantha Miller-Herrara are running for re-election, facing Republicans Charles “Jack” Dodson and Emily Testa, and Green Party candidate Glenn Raymus.

In Duanesburg, Republican incumbent Town Board members Frances Potter and John Ganther are being challenged by Democrat Jennifer Barnes; there will be a special election to fill a vacated Town Board seat between Republican William Wenzel and Conservatice Thomas G. Collins.

Categories: News, Schenectady County

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