Legislator John Parete relegated to minor-party lines in re-election bid
Kathy Nolan has Democratic line on ballot, Cliff Faintych is GOP candidate in District 22
An incumbent lawmaker and longtime Democratic operative finds himself a minor-party candidate in a three-way race for the Ulster County Legislature’s District 22 seat.
Incumbent John Parete — a registered Democrat who has served as chairman of the party and the Legislature, as well as county Democratic elections commissioner — was denied both the Democratic and the GOP lines in primaries in September. He lost the Democratic line to Kathy Nolan, 426-182, and the GOP line to Cliff Faintych, 176-166.
District 22 comprises the towns of Denning, Hardenburgh, Olive and Shandaken.
John Parete
Parete, 75, will have the Conservative and Independence lines on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The owner of the Boiceville Inn, Parete first was elected to the Legislature in 2011.
He was elected chairman of the Legislature in 2014 when he formed a coalition with the Republican caucus to defeat Democrat Hector Rodriguez for the post. He was re-elected leader in 2015, again the result of GOP support, and in 2016 he was among three registered Democrats who joined with Republicans to elect Republican Kenneth Ronk chairman.
As a legislator, Parete often has been at odds with other Democrats on the Legislature as well as County Executive Michael Hein, also a Democrat, most recently fighting against a proposal to move Ulster County Family Court out of the city of Kingston.
Parete has championed efforts to combat the opioid crisis and is behind an effort to have the county take on the responsibility for unpaid village property taxes, similar to the arrangement that currently exists between the towns and county.
He currently the chairman of the Legislature’s Government Efficiency and Review Committee.
A Boiceville resident, Parete is a Kingston High School graduate. He and his wife have four children, including two, Richard and Robert, who have served in the Ulster County Legislature.
Kathy Nolan
Nolan, 62, will hold the Democratic, Working Families, Women’s Equality and Green Party lines on the ballot.
A researcher and public educator for Catskill Mountainkeeper, Nolan was an ardent supporter of the controversial plan to convert the county-owned former Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor into a recreational trail and, as president of the Catskill Heritage Alliance, fought against the planned Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park.
If elected, Nolan said, she will look to promote an environmentally sound and sustainable economy, improve the standard of living in her district and foster a sense of pride in the region and promote fair elections and greater participation by voters.
She said she would support small businesses, encourage tourism, advocate for greater support from the state and New York City and support the arts and culture of the Catskills.
Nolan is a 27-year resident of the county. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University, a master’s degree from Yale Law School and a medical degree from Yale Medical School.
A Phoencia resident, she is a former member of the Shandaken Zoning Board of Appeals and Shandaken Comprehensive Planning Committee who ran unsuccessfully for Shandaken supervisor in 2011.
Nolan is a member of the Shandaken Community Gardens, Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail, Healthy Ulster County, the Ulster County Tourism Advisory Board, the Ulster County Trails Advisory Board, the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Friends of the Catskill Interpretative Center and the Catskill Heritage Alliance.
Cliff Faintych
Faintych, 56, is a Denning resident who has served on the Town Board and town Planning Board.
He is calling for increased oversight of the construction of the new county Family Court and proposed countywide fire training center, warning that the county cannot afford the delays or cost overruns experienced during the construction of the Law Enforcement Center.
Faintych opposes the ban on memorializing resolutions passed earlier this year by the county Legislature and said the county needs to be cognizant of the potential impacts of changes to the Affordable Care Act.
A certified financial planner, chartered financial consultant and accredited investment fiduciary with Ashokan Wealth Management in Kingston, Faintych said he will bring an unbiased, independent voice and a wealth of finan-
cial experience to the Legislature.
A county resident for 21 years, he holds a bachelor’s degree from The Cleveland Institute of Art, a master’s degree from Fordham University and a post-graduate certificate from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
He is president of the Hudson Valley Society of Financial Services Professionals, treasurer of the Neversink Association and a member of the Hudson Valley Estate Planning Council, the Arts Society of Kingston, RUPCO and the Resource Development Committee.
He is married to Deb Graziano.