Veitch, Gaston set to serve on Board of Supervisors
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Spa City voters picked two candidates to serve on the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors.
Incumbent Matt Veitch, running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines, and Democrat Tara Gaston declared victory Tuesday night.
Veitch received 4,524 votes, according to unofficial results from the Saratoga County Board of Elections, while Gaston — who was also on the Working Families line and was the Women’s Equality party candidate — received 3,823 votes.
“It’s a complete honor to be re-elected,” Veitch told Republican supporters gathered at the Holiday Inn. “I can’t wait to continue the work we’ve been doing.”
Gaston, who grew up in
Alabama, ran for public office for the first time.
“I’m amazed and it’s awesome. This is my first run. I didn’t expect it. I really appreciate the support and the trust that the residents have put in me, and I do not intend to let them down,” said Gaston. “My goal is to bring experience from outside of Saratoga Springs, how I’ve seen government work elsewhere and hopefully shake up and bring some different view points. There aren’t a lot of women there and there aren’t a lot of Democrats there. It’s about time that they have a little shock to their system, I think.”
Democrat Patricia Friesen and Republican John Safford also were running for a spot on the county board. Friesen received 3,609 votes, while Safford got 3,522 votes.
There are reportedly more than 500 absentee ballots that have to be counted.
Joseph Levy, the Green Party’s candidate, garnered 245 votes.
In countywide races, Sheriff Michael Zurlo, county Clerk Craig Hayner and Coroner Susan HayesMasa, all ran unopposed as Republicans and were reelected to new terms.
“We’ve achieved a lot in the last four years,” said Zurlo, adding that one of his top priorities moving forward will be seeking new types of grant funding to make even more improvements within his department.
County GOP Chairman Steve Bulger said, “Overall in the county we’ve had a great night.”
He was especially pleased by the outcome in Mechanicville, where Dennis Baker won the race for mayor, the first Republican to hold the job “in a generation,” Bulger said.
“We went door to door,” Baker said. “That’s how we won.”
Republicans now hold the top leadership post in 20 of the 21 towns and cities in Saratoga County, he said. The only one they don’t control is Saratoga Springs, where Democrat Meg Kelly defeated Republican Mark Baker on Tuesday.
Democrats challenged several Republican town supervisors, but there were no surprises.
Following are the outcomes of town races based on results from the Saratoga County Board of Elections:
• Milton: Scott Ostrander beat his fellow town board member, Barbara Kerr, by a vote of 2,427 to 1,302 in the race for supervisor. Ostrander, who ran on the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines, also defeated Kerr, the Reform Party candidate, in a September GOP primary.
• Wilton: Incumbent Art Johnson, running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, defeated Democrat and Public Servants party candidate Nancy Dwyer, 2,353 to 1,792.
• Malta: Incumbent Vincent DeLucia, running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, won, holding off a challenge from Democrat William F. Breheny — 2,381 to 1,448.
• Moreau: Republican town Councilman Todd Kusnierz won the supervisor position — 1,840 to 1,252 — over Democrat Michael Linehan. Kusnierz will replace Republican Gardner Congdon, who was not seeking re-election.
• Charlton: Incumbent Republican Alan R. Grattridge beat Democrat Albert Wilson, 794-665.
Those running unopposed for supervisor Tuesday were:
• Ballston: Incumbent Tim Szczepaniak ran on the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines.
• Clifton Park: Incumbents Phil Barrett and Jonathan Schopf ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform lines.
• Corinth: Incumbent Republican Richard Lucia was unopposed.
• Day: Republican Preston L. Allen ran unopposed.
• Galway: Incumbent Paul E. Lent ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Greenfield: Dan Pemrich ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Hadley: Republican Arthur M. Wright ran unopposed.
• Halfmoon: Incumbent Kevin J. Tollisen ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Northumberland: Incumbent Willard Peck ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Providence: Sandra Winney ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Saratoga: Thomas N. Wood III ran unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Stillwater: Incumbent Edward D. Kinowski was unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.
• Waterford: Incumbent John Lawler was unopposed on the Republican and Conservative lines.