Hudson Valley Election Guide 2018

Election Day 2018 is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check back with Patch afterward to learn the results.

Where do I vote?

• Dutchess County
• Orange
• Putnam
• Rockland
• Ulster
• Westchester

What is a write-in opportunity?

Officially called an opportunity to ballot, it puts a contest on the ballot so party voters can write in a candidate, either because they don't like the one being proposed or because the party leadership has not put up a candidate for the office. It usually involves parties with smaller numbers of registered voters.

How do I write in a candidate?

There's a space on the paper ballot designated for write-ins. Write the name of the person you'd like. See a video.

Where can I report problems at the polls?

• Tell Patch If You See Shenanigans At The Polls
• Attorney General Announces 2018 Election Day Hotline

Races we're watching

In state Senate districts 34 and 38, two members of the defunct Independent Democratic Coalition are seeking re-election. David Carlucci beat his Democratic primary opponent, but Jeff Klein didn’t. However Klein is on the ballot on the Independence Party line.

In Congressional District 19, freshman Republican Congressman Faso is hoping to hold onto the seat he took over from Republican Chris Gibson, who did not seek re-election. His Democratic opponent is seeking to send him back to Kinderhook. The campaign has been contentious, with advertisements implying that Delgado is a big-city rapper and that that should disqualify him from office. Delgado has made the issue of health care a priority because Faso voted to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.

District 40 has been most recently represented by conservative Republicans. Greg Ball held the seat before Terrence Murphy, who first won the seat in 2014. This year, Democrats dealt with a competitive primary, in which Peter Harckham bested Robert Kesten.

To an extent, the race is a referendum on President Trump. An early supporter, Murphy was on the podium when Trump was nominated as the Republican candidate; he has accused Harckham of alliance with “Soros-funded antifa hate groups.” Harckham says Murphy has moved steadily to the far right with proposals such as a statewide voter ID law.

Each has been found to have engaged in unfair campaign practices.

• Campaign Watchdog Finds Murphy's Ads Unfair
• Kesten, Harckham Unfair To Murphy: Campaign Practices Committee

Elected to the state Senate in 2014, Murphy and his wife and children live in Yorktown.
Harckham, a former county legislator, has two daughters and lives in South Salem.

• Murphy's 1st Priority: More Jobs For The Region
• 40th NY Senate: Harckham's 1st Priority Is Health Care

Parties: D = Democratic, R = Republican, C = Conservative, IN = Independence, G = Green, WE = Women's Equality Party, WF = Working Families, REF = Reform.

U.S. Senate

Chele Chiavacci Farley, 51, is a partner and managing director of Mistral Capital International. She served as finance chairwoman for New York City when she was appointed to the position by the state Republican Party. She is a New York City resident. Gillibrand, 51, has been the junior senator from New York since 2009, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy created by Hillary Clinton becoming secretary of state in the Obama administration. She's a resident of Brunswick, Rensselaer County.

• Chele Chiavacci Farley R C REF
• Kirsten E. Gillibrand D WF IN WE (incumbent)

Congress

Congress D16
Pelham, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, part of Greenburgh, part of Scarsdale, City of Rye, Rye, Ma maroneck, New Rochelle, Eastchester, and parts of the Bronx

• Eliot Engel D WF WE (incumbent)

Congress D17
City of Peekskill, Cortlandt, part of Yorktown, Ossining, part of New Castle, Mount Pleasant, Greenburgh, City of White Plains, Harrison, Rye, City of Rye, part of Scarsdale, and parts of Rockland County

Ciardullo's 1st Priorities: National Debt; Opioid Crisis

• Joseph J. Ciardullo REF
• Nita M. Lowey D WF WE (incumbent)

Congress D18
Somers, North Salem, Lewisboro, Bedford, Pound Ridge, part of North Castle, part of Yorktown, and part of New Castle

• Sean Patrick Maloney D WF IN WE (incumbent)
• James O'Donnell R C REF

Congress D19
Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties and parts of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties.

• John Faso R C IN REF (incumbent)
• Antonio Delgado D WF WE
• Steven Greenfield, G
• Diane Neal, Friends of Diane Neal

Delgado Says Health Care Biggest Issue Facing 19th District
Faso Wants to Relieve Medicaid Burden On NY Taxpayers

Supreme Court Justice 9th JD (Choose 7)

• Hal B. Greenwald (D)
• James F. Reltz (R, C)
• Kathie E. Davidson (D, R, C, IN)
• William J. Giacomo (D, IN)
• Phillip A. Grimaldi, Jr. (R, C)
• David F. Everett (D)
• Robert H. Freehill (R,C, IN, REF)
• Barry E. Warhit (D)
• Joan B. Lefkowitz (D, IN)
• Thomas P. Zugibe (D, C, IN)

State Senate

SD34
Part of Pelham, part of City of New Rochelle, part of City of Mount Vernon, part of Town of Eastchester, and parts of the Bronx.

Biaggi Wins Over Incumbent Klein In 34th Senate District Primary

• Alessandra Biaggi D WF
• Richard A. Ribustello, R
• Jeffrey D. Klein, IN (incumbent)
• Antonio Vitiello, C

SD35
Mount Pleasant, Greenburgh, Scarsdale, part of New Rochelle, City of Yonkers, part of Pelham, and part of City of White Plains

• Andrea Stewart-Cousins D IN REF WE WF (incumbent)

SD36
City of Mount Vernon and parts of the Bronx

• Jamaal T. Bailey D WF (incumbent)
• Robert L. Diamond R C

SD37
Bedford, North Castle, Harrison, part of the City of White Plains, Rye, City of Rye, Mamaroneck, Eastchester, part of the City of New Rochelle, part of the City of Yonkers

• Shelley B. Mayer D WF IN WE (incumbent)

SD38
Ossining and parts of Rockland County

State Senator David Carlucci faces a second challenge from former Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef to represent the people of the 38th NY Senate District. Carlucci has been in office since 2010.
Carlucci's 1st Priorities: Lower Taxes, School Aid, TZB Tolls

• David Carlucci D WE (incumbent)
• C. Scott Vanderhoef R C IN REF

SD39
Parts of Orange, Rockland and Ulster counties

• Tom Basile R C IN
• James Skoufis D WF WE REF

SD40
The district is comprised of parts of Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, including Beekman and Pawling in Dutchess; Brewster, Carmel, Patterson and Southeast in Putnam; and Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Sleepy Hollow, Somers and Yorktown in Westchester.

• Peter B. Harckham D WF WE
• Terrence P. Murphy R C IN REF (incumbent)

SD41
Parts of Dutchess and Putnam counties

• Sue Serino R (incumbent)
• Karen Smythe D

SD42
Sullivan and parts of Delaware, Orange and Ulster counties

• Jen Metzger D WF WE
• Ann Rabbitt R C IN REF

SD46
Greene and Montgomery counties and parts of Schenectady, Albany and Ulster counties.

• George Amedore Jr. R C IN REF (incumbent)
• Pat Strong D WF WE

SD51
Comprised of the towns of Hardenburgh, Shandaken, Olive and Rochester in Ulster County and all or part of eight other counties.

• Joyce St. George D WE
• James L. Seward R C IN REF (incumbent)

State Assembly

AD88
Scarsdale, part of City of White Plains, Eastchester, part of City of New Rochelle, part of Pelham

• Amy Paulin D WF WE REF (incumbent)

AD89
Part of City of New Rochelle, City of Mount Vernon, part of Pelham

• J. Gary Pretlow D (incumbent)

AD90
City of Yonkers

• Joe Pinion R C
• Nader J. Sayegh D IN WE REF

AD91
Mamaroneck, City of Rye, Rye

• Steven Otis D WF WE (incumbent)

AD92
Mount Pleasant, Greenburgh

• Thomas Abinanti D WF REF (incumbent)

AD93
North Salem, Lewisboro, Bedford, Pound Ridge, City of Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, Harrison, part of City of White Plains

• David Buchwald D WF IN WE REF (incumbent)
• John Nuculovic R C

AD94
Somers, Yorktown, and parts of Putnam County

• Kevin Byrne R C REF (incumbent)
• Vedat Gashi D WF IN WE

AD95
City of Peekskill, Cortlandt, Ossining, and parts of Putnam County

• Lawrence A. Chiulli R C
• Sandra Galef D WF WE REF

AD96
Pomona, Wesley Hills, New City, Thiells, Haverstraw, West Haverstraw, Congers, Bardonia, West Nyack, Upper Nyack, and parts of Nanuet and Pearl River

• Kenneth Zebrowski (incumbent)

AD 97
Hillburn, Suffern, Montebello, Airmont, Monsey, Spring Valley, Hillcrest, Chestnut Ridge, Nanuet, Pearl River, Blauvelt, Orangeburg, Tappan, Piermont, South Nyack, Nyack

• Ellen Jaffee, D WF WE REF (incumbent)
• Rosario Presti Jr., R C

AD101
Parts of Ulster, Orange and Sullivan counties and parts of four other counties

• Chad J. McEvoy D WF WE
• Brian D. Miller R C IN REF (incumbent)

AD102
Greene County, the Town of Saugerties in Ulster County, the towns of Stuyvesant and Stockport in Columbia County and all or parts of three other counties

• Aidan S. O'Connor Jr. D WF WE
• Christopher Tague R C IN REF (incumbent)

AD103
Parts of Ulster and Dutchess counties

• Kevin A. Cahill D WF

AD104
Town and city of Newburgh in Orange County, the towns of Lloyd and Marlborough in Ulster County and the cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon in Dutchess County.

This district was represented by Frank Skartado until his death in April 2018. Jacobson, 65, is an attorney and is a Newburgh city councilman. Manley, 56, the deputy supervisor for the Town of Newburgh.

• Jonathan Jacobson D
• Scott Manley R

AD105
Towns of Washington, LaGrange, Union Vale, Dover, Wappinger, East Fishkill, Beekman, Pawling and Fishkill in Dutchess County.

• Laurette Giardino D WF WE
• Kieran M. Lalor R C IN REF (incumbent)

AD106
Parts Columbia and Dutchess counties.

• Didi Barrett D WF IN (incumbent)
• William G. Truitt R C WE REF

Ulster County

Sheriff

Figueroa, 53, won the Democratic primary for Ulster County Sheriff, besting Van Blarcum. Figueroa works in corporate security an previously worked in the New York State Police. Van Blarcum, 62, has been Ulster County Sheriff since 2007. He has been with the sheriff's office since 1976.

• Juan Figueroa D WF WE
• Paul J. Van Blarcum R C IN REF (incumbent)

Putnam County

There are three countywide elections: for county executive, county clerk and county coroner. County Clerk Michael C. Bartolotti and County Coroner John F. Bourges are unopposed.

Incumbent MaryEllen Odell is challenged for the county executive post by current Kent town Supervisor Maureen Fleming. Odell, who has been in office seven years, is running on her record, emphasizing broadening the tax base and services for veterans and senior citizens. Fleming accuses Odell of cronyism, spending money unwisely on pet projects including the Putnam Golf Course, Tilly Foster Farm and the Philipstown Senior Center.

Odell's Top Priorities: Tax Base, Development, Shared Services
Fleming's 1st Priorities: End Non-Essential Spending, Patronage

• Maureen Fleming D, WE, RF
• MaryEllen ODell R, C, IN (incumbent)

Putnam Legislature

District 1

• Barbara Scuccimarra, R C I N(incumbent)
• Nancy Montgomery, D WF WE United Putnam

District 7

• Josph Castellano, R C IN REF (incumbent)
• Scott Reing, D WE We the People

Brewster
Two candidates are running unopposed for village trustee seats.

Kent

Kent Council (unexpired term)

• Gary Link, D
• Christopher Ruthven, R C IN REF

Putnam Valley

Proposition on the ballot: Should the town borrow up to $1.9M to acquire the 161-acre Hill Camp parcel?

Southeast

Town Council (unexpired term)

• Eric Larca, R C IN
• Melinda Montanaro, D WE REF

Rockland County

Itamar Yeger is running unopposed for the 4th district seat on the County Legislature. It’s an unexpired term.

Clarkstown

There are two propositions on the ballot, the first to change councilmembers’ terms to four years from two years; the second to change the terms for supervisor, clerk and highway superintendent to four years from two.

Nyack

The candidates for village trustee seats are unopposed.

Orangetown

Two people are running for the unexpired term of the town clerk.

• Rosanna Sfraga, R C IN REF
• Robert Tompkins, D WE

Piermont

Two people are unopposed for seats on the village board.

Suffern

Village trustee (vote for 2)

• Gina Bertolino, R C WF IN REF (incumbent)
• Joseph Russo, R C WF IN REF (incumbent)
• Steven Alpert, D WE
• Paul Girard, D WE

Village justice (vote for 1)

• Ernest Buonocore, D R C WF IN REF
• Vincent Altieri, WE

Suffern is also holding a referendum. The proposition would increase the volunteer firefighter service award payment maximum.

Westchester

Croton-on-Hudson
Trustee and village justice candidates are unopposed.

Mount Kisco

Two people are vying for one spot on the library Board of Trustees.

• Luke Joachim
• Amy Kelley

Peekskill
Patricia Riley running for an unexpired seat on the City Council is unopposed.

Also on the ballot in Peekskill is a proposition to set the city's annual contribution to the Field Library's operating budget at $1,103,000, a $100,000 increase.

Pleasantville
Two people are vying for one seat on the Mount Pleasant town board.

• Anthony C. Amiano III R C IN REF
• Francesca Hagadus-McHale D

Ossining village
Village residents will choose a mayor and one trustee. Incumbent Mayor Victoria Gearity is challenged in the general election as she was in the Democratic primary, by Trustee Omar Herrera, in a race that has grown contentious. Gearity is forecast to win another term; if so, Herrera will stay on the board. His term is up at the end of 2019.

Gearity's First Priority: Smart Growth
Herrera's 1st Priority: Development Moratorium

• Victoria Gearity D (incumbent)
• Omar Herrera WF

Three people are running for two seats on the village board of trustees.

• David Kezafrika
• Rika Levin (incumbent)
• Manuel R. Quezada

Ossining town
Jackie G. Shaw is running unopposed for an unexpired term on the Ossining Town Council.

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PHOTO/ Chris Dehnel