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Polls open through 9 p.m. to name mayors, supervisors, trustees, councilors, clerks and highway supers in St. Lawrence County

Posted 11/3/15

Updated at 10:41 a.m. to include Village of Waddington races. Voters across St. Lawrence County today are choosing mayors and supervisors, trustees and councilors, clerks and highway superintendents. …

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Polls open through 9 p.m. to name mayors, supervisors, trustees, councilors, clerks and highway supers in St. Lawrence County

Posted

Updated at 10:41 a.m. to include Village of Waddington races.

Voters across St. Lawrence County today are choosing mayors and supervisors, trustees and councilors, clerks and highway superintendents.

Ogdensburg, Potsdam and Canton will have new mayors when the day is over, and dozens of other village and town elective positions are up for grabs.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

County Races

Two county-wide offices are up for election this year, but both candidates face no official opposition.

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells and County Clerk Mary Lou Rupp will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.

The remainder of the term of District 15 Legislator Jonathan Putney, who resigned his seat on the county Board of Legislators in April, is being pursued by Lisa Bell of Massena, with no opposition on the ballot.

Ogdensburg

Ogdensburg voters will choose a new mayor and several city councilors.

Former St. Lawrence County legislator Sam “Vernon’ Burns,” a Democrat, is competing with Republican Ogdensburg City Councilor Wayne Ashley for the mayoral seat. Both candidates have pushed economic development as the biggest issue facing the city.

For City Council, five candidates are competing for three seats. They are incumbent Democrat Jennifer Stevenson, Democrat Timothy Davis, Republican David Price, Democrat James McCoy and Republican James R. Amo.

Massena

Democrats Thomas Miller and Steven O'Shaughnessy are running for town board, along with Republican Raymond J. Fenton Jr., in a three-way race for two seats.

Democrat Pat Serguson and Republican Pamela Catanzarite are running unopposed for town justice and clerk, respectively.

Potsdam

Village of Potsdam voters will pick two trustees from a field that includes two new candidates and an incumbent running on a third-party line.

Former mayor and current trustee Ron Tischler is running without opposition for the top post again.

Democrats Nick Sheehan and Jim Bunstone are running for the two trustee seats after some nominating maneuvers, while incumbent Democrat Eleanor Hopke is running to keep her seat after failing to be renominated by her party. Her name will be on the Sense in Government ballot line.

In the town race, Council member Rollin Beattie, a Democrat, is running for the supervisor’s spot unopposed.

Two councilors will be chosen from among two Democrats and a write-in candidate. Democrats Rosemaria Rivezzi, incumbent, and Ann Martin Carvill are running, while Eric Matott is mounting a write-in campaign.

Town Clerk Cindy Goliber, Republican, and Superintendent of Highways John Keleher, Democrat, face no opposition in this election.

Canton

Voters in the village of Canton will elect two village trustees from among three candidates and, in the town, two members of the Town Council from the three people running.

In the Town of Canton, Democrat James T. Smith, who failed to pick up the nomination of his party for the race to keep his seat, will be running on the Conservative Party line. The Democrats have nominated Rosemary Philips and Bob Washo to run for the two council spots.

In the Village of Canton, Trustee Michael Dalton, a Republican, is running unopposed for the mayor's position.

Three people are running for two village trustee seats in Canton. Incumbent Democrat Carol Pynchon is running again, and she is joined on the ballot by Democrat Sean O’Brien and former Mayor Dave Curry, a Republican.

Waddington

In Waddington, two people are running to fill a one-year unexpired term as village trustee. Benny Fairchild, Democrat, is running against James P. Miller, Republican. In April Fairchild was appointed to the village board following the death of long-time trustee William Shoen. Darin J. Greene, Democrat and Michael G. Miller, Republican, are running to fill two seats for  on the village board as well.

Gouverneur

In Gouverneur, three people are running for two village trustee seats and two people for the mayor’s seat, while many of the village and town positions on the Nov. 3 ballot this year are not contested.

Mayor Ronald McDougall, who will be on the Democratic and Republican ballot lines as well as third-party line, is being challenged by Diane Monroe Cotter, who will appear only on a third-party ballot line.

Village Trustee Shelly Simons-Washburn is running to retain her seat on the board, opposed by Richard J. Wood, and George G. Harder.

Incumbent Town Supervisor Robert R. Ritchie faces no opposition this year in his re-election bid, and neither is Town Justice Stanley H. Young, Jr. Incumbent Town Councilman Jaimee McQuade and newcomer David L. Spillman, Jr. and running for the two positions to be filled Nov. 3.

Rural Races

Residents in many more rural towns across St. Lawrence County will vote for councilmen, town supervisors, highway superintendents and more.

There are town supervisor races in Pierrepont, Hermon, Macomb, and Fowler.

• Incumbent Pierrepont Supervisor Democratic Thomas Latimer is running against Republican Jane D. Powers. Four candidates will compete for two councilor positions: Republican incumbent Neil Thomas, Republican Dan Huntley and Democrats John Glasgow and Terry Reilley are running for the seats.

• Hermon Supervisor Nicole S. Bacon Ward, a Democrat, will go against Rose Warren to replace Kelly Reed who is not running again. Voters will choose between Republican incumbent Karen A. Wayering and Democrat Sheri Smith for town clerk. Incumbent Republican highway superintendent Brian Brunet will be opposed by Democrat Robert R. Reed. Three candidates are contending for two spots on the town council. They are Democrats Bernard F. Reed Jr. and Frank D. Ashley Sr. and Republican Charles D. Tracy.

• Incumbent Macomb Supervisor George Blatchley, Republican, runs against Lafayette Young, Jr. for that spot. Voters will also choose between incumbent Republican Nicole L. Cox and Karen Countryman for town clerk. Democrat Steve Burke and Republican Bret W. Martin are running for two open town board seats.

• Incumbent Fowler Town Supervisor Michael Cappellino, Democrat, is challenged by Republican Andrew W. Miller. For highway superintendent, Republican incumbent Michael Sweeney is running against Democrat Randy L. Durham. Voters will choose between three candidates for two town assessor positions. Candidates include incumbents Republicans Robert G. Andrews Jr. and Robert E. Fuller as well as Ronald Blair. Democrat Karen Simmons and Republican Dustin Fayette are running for the two open town board seats.

Other local offices up for election in St. Lawrence County's rural communities, along with their candidates that will appear on the ballot, are:

• Clifton - Democrat John Dragun will go head-to-head against Republican incumbent Mark Friden for town justice.

• DePesyter: incumbent Republican Councilman Leslie Hargrave and Edwin Sheppard will compete for two seats against newcomer Roland Newcombe, Democrat.

• Fine voters will choose from four candidates to fill two council seats. Candidates include Democrats Jerry W. Bush and Barbara Horner, Republican Jeremy Thompson, and AD Butch Brown. The race to fill the two years left in Highway Superintendent Roger Folsom’s term will see a four-way race among Democrat Richard Hitchman, Republican Tracy Typhair, Conservative Dean E. Kerr and Jeffrey Durham.

• In the race in Hammond for two years left in the town clerk’s term, Republican Pamela Burton is challenged by Cathleen Tulley. Republicans James Pitcher and Howard W. Demick are running to fill two open council seats.

• In Lawrence, voters will choose between four candidates to fill two town council positions. Candidates are incumbents Donald C. Ayers, Democrat and Republican Gerald F. St. Hilaire Jr., and newcomers Republican Sheri Wilson and James L. Ashley Jr.

• In Louisville: three candidates vie for two positions as councilman. Incumbents Roy Beshaw, Democrat, and Gail Schneider, Republican, will compete with Democrat David Moulton.

• In Morristown, voters will select two candidates for seats as town councilman from among Republican incumbents Gary Turner and David VanArnam, as well as Republican Gary B. Turner and Mark R. Tayler.

• In the Parishville town board race for two seats, Republican incumbent Councilor Kari Tremper and Democratic incumbent Melvin Sweeney will see opposition from Democrat Cassie M. Hayes.

• In Piercefield, the race for highway superintendent is contested by Democrat James A. Brownell and Republican Jay Rust.

• In the race for Pitcairn town councilor, three candidates are running two fill two seats. They are Democratic incumbent Lawrence Evans, Democrat Dora G. McIntosh, and Republican Ann M. Hall.

• In Russell, three newcomers look to fill two town council seats, Democrats Charles Kerr and Timothy White and Republican Johnny Lee LaFaver.

Polls will be open at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3 and will close at 9 p.m.

For information on polling places, call the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections at 379-2202.

Meanwhile New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will operate a statewide Election Day Hotline available to residents of St. Lawrence County during the general election Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Voters encountering barriers to access at their polling sites can report those issues to the Attorney General’s Office by calling the hotline at 800-771-7755, or by emailing the office at civil.rights@ag.ny.gov. The hotline will be available from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Election Day.