Races for council seats take shape

KINGSTON, N.Y. » The stage is set for Democratic primaries for Common Council nominations in two of Kingston’s nine wards.

In the Third Ward, incumbent Rennie Scott-Childress, who has the backing of the city Democratic Committee, is being challenged for the party line on the November ballot by Ellen DiFalco, who served as confidential secretary to former Mayor Shayne Gallo during his time in office and sits on the Kingston Library board.

DiFalco already has the backing of the city Republican, Conservative and Independence Party committees.

Scott-Childress was appointed to the Third Ward seat on the council in April 2016 by Mayor Steve Noble after fellow Democrat Brad Will resigned.

In the Eighth Ward, incumbent Steve Schabot, also backed by the Democratic Committee, will face off against Cassandra Burke and former city Safety Officer Jim Rodden for the party line on the ballot.

Rodden has the backing of the city Republican and Conservative committees.

Candidate petitions were due to the Ulster County Board of Elections last week. The primaries will be in September.

All nine seats on the council are up for election in November, and the winners will serve two-year terms. The mayor and alderman-at-large are elected every four years, and those positions will not be on the ballot again until 2019.

In the wards other than 3 and 8, the races are as follows.

Ward 1: Jeffrey Morrell will run on the Democratic line against Michael Russell on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. Incumbent Democrat Lynn Eckert is running for an Ulster County Legislature seat.

Ward 2: Incumbent Democrat Douglas Koop is running unopposed.

Ward 4: Democrat Rita Worthington is running unopposed. Incumbent Democrat Nina Dawson has chosen not to seek re-election.

Ward 5: Incumbent Democrat William Carey will run against Republican Teryl Mickens, who also is expected to be on the Conservative and Independence lines.

Ward 6: Incumbent Democrat Anthony Davis is running unopposed.

Ward 7: Democrat Bryant “Drew” Andrews will run against Republican Patrick O’Reilly, who also is expected to be on the Conservative and Independence lines. Incumbent Democrat Maryann Mills is not seeking reelection.

Ward 9: Incumbent Debbie Brown, the lone Republican on the council, will run against Democrat Andrea Shaut. Brown also is expected to appear on the Conservative and Independence lines.