READY TO DECIDE
Voters choose who will fill open Assembly seat
TROY, N.Y. » Throughout the day Tuesday, voters in parts of Rensselaer, Columbia and Washington counties headed to the polls to elect a new representative for the state’s 107th Assembly District.
Two current Rensselaer County Legislators have been battling each other in a special election since they were nominated by their parties in February. Longtime Democratic county legislator Cindy Doran faces Republican county legislator Jake Ashby in the special election Tuesday, with voting polls closing at 9 p.m.
Ashby and Doran were nominated by their parties for the special election after Rensselaer County Executive left that assembly seat to take over as
the county executive earlier this year.
Ashby, 37, is a former Army Captain from Castleton who served two tours of combat duty, and today works as an occupational therapist and college instructor. Ashby earned his MBAH from Union Graduate College in Schenectady. He is a local entrepreneur, starting his own occupational therapy practice in 2014. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in education from Creighton University.
He is a Prior Castleton VFW Post Commander.
In January, Ashby was elected to the County Legislature in District 4, which includes the towns of Schodack, Sand Lake and Nassau.
Ashby said he heard from constituents that they want someone who will have a strong voice for the 2nd amendment- which he is a supporter of- along with environmental issues, the opioid epidemic and taxes.
“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling confident,” said Ashby mid-Tuesday morning. “I think that the voters we made contact with are
energized and the crowd of the campaign that we ran was predominantly positive and I think that resonated with a lot of people out there.”
Doran, 58, was elected to a full term in office as a county legislator in 2013, representing the city of Troy. For the special election, Doran has also secured the endorsement of
the Working Families and Women’s Equality parties.
Originally from a diary farm in Malone, Doran has taught and lived in Troy for more than 30 years.
Doran graduated with high honors from the College of Saint Rose with a bachelor’s degree in Business/Secondary Education and a Minor in Mathematics. She holds a master’s degree in Advanced Classroom Teaching/ Business Education from the University at Albany.
For 30 years, Doran
taught classes in college accounting, finance, business mathematics, economics, word processing, and career education at Troy High School, as well as courses for Hudson Valley Community College and Cornell University at work place sites.
She has also been a substitute teacher in the Lansingburgh and Brunswick school districts and has worked at Albany Medical College as an Administrative Support Assistant.
Doran said some priori-
ties of hers if elected would include focusing on subjects like public education, health care, and the environment.
“It’s a beautiful sunny day and I’m feeling very positive about today,” said Doran early Tuesday afternoon. “I’m looking forward to being a full-time assembly member fighting for my constituents of the 107th Assembly District.”
The candidate who wins Tuesday night’s special election will need to run for that assembly seat again come the general election