Sullivan races produce new county clerk, legislators

Landfill once again an issue

By FRITZ MAYER

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — The most prominent race of the November 6 election, that between Sullivan County Clerk Neil Gilberg and challenger Dan Briggs, turned bitter at the very end, and it was connected to Governor Eliot Spitzer’s plan to provide drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. A few days before the election, Briggs sent out a flyer that featured the September 11 terrorist Mohamed Atta and the message “Eliot Spitzer & Neil Gilberg have put us in danger.”

According to at least one published report, Gilberg was initially undecided about Spitzer’s plan. However, both candidates told The River Reporter they opposed it.

In any case, Gilberg shot back with a radio ad declaring that Briggs should be “ashamed” of his attempt to politicize the World Trade Center disaster, and that was supported by a radio ad from Congressman Maurice Hinchey that also criticized the flyer.

Gilberg lost the race.

Two of the races for legislator seats revolved heavily around the continued operation of the landfill as they did four years ago. In District Nine, incumbent Sam Wohl was defeated by challenger Alan Sorensen on the promise that Sorensen would work to shut down the facility, the same promise made by Wohl in 2003.

In District Eight, challenger Bob Kunis tried to make the landfill issue central in his race against Ron Hiatt, saying that Hiatt had not done enough to close the landfill. It didn’t work, perhaps because voters remembered that Kunis voted in favor of resolutions to expand the landfill when he was a legislator before Hiatt. Hiatt won again this year.

Overall, Democrats will retain control of the Sullivan County Legislature with a likely five-to-four majority, although there is still a slight doubt about the outcome of the District One race between Patrick Harrison and David Sager, which might change once the absentee ballots are counted on Wednesday, November 14.

Too close to call

There were a number of decisive victories in the election on November 6, such as the reelection in Tusten of Supervisor Ben Johnson over challenger Nancy Dos Santos 246 to 184, and the election of Dan Sturm over incumbent Harold Russell in the Bethel race for supervisor 749 to 657.

But the election also resulted in a number of races that were too close to call because absentee ballots and ballots by affidavit remained to be counted.

The race for two seats on the Tusten council features three candidates that are separated by just seven votes: Lisa Dowling has 215, Chuck Hoffman has 210 and Thomas Prendergast has 208. With some 50 remaining ballots to be counted, incumbent candidate Lewis Meckle Jr. with 180 votes also has a chance to win.

The race for the position of supervisor in Highland is also quite close. Tina Palicek is ahead of Larry Fishman by a vote of 337 to 327.

The election of the supervisor of Callicoon is also too close to call with Linda Babicz at 482 and incumbent Gregg Semenetz at 475.

In the race to take over the seat of departing county chairman Chris Cunningham, the vote is not quite so close, but a heavily lopsided absentee count might upset the result. The vote before the absentee count was Patrick Harrison with 981 and Dave Sager with 1026.

The staff of the board of elections will begin counting absentee and affidavit votes on the morning of November 14, and will finish after The River Reporter goes to press.

Click here for the latest results.