Don't Forget to Vote: Rockland Primaries

There are important primaries in Rockland Clounty Sept. 13 — including races for state as well as local offices.

Senate and Assembly districts in the Hudson Valley cover multiple communities, and sometimes more than one county. Plus, a community is often represented by more than one senator or Assembly member. For example, there are primaries in State Assembly Districts 97 and 98, which represent different parts of Ramapo.

Clarkstown Town Council : Daniel Caprara and Pranob Thakur Jr. are fighting to get on the November ballot on the Working Families line. That seat is now held by Adrienne Carey, a Nanuet resident appointed to the post in June after Valerie Moldow resigned.

Nyack Village Trustees : Incumbents Louise Parker and Don Hammond face challengers Barbara Cohig and Donna Lightfoot Cooper in the Democratic primary in a race that centers on issues of village development, according to The Journal News.

County Court Judge: There is an open Rockland County Court Judge seat and three people are seeking the Working Families line on the November ballot: Pat Loftus, Kevin Russo and Larry Schwartz.

NY Assembly District 97: This district in Rockland County covers the towns of Clarkstown and Orangetown and the southern part of Ramapo, including the villages of Nyack, Piermont, South Nyack, Spring Valley, Suffern and the unincorporated communities of Blauvelt, Hillcrest, Monsey, Nanuet, Orangeburg, Pearl River, Sparkill, Tappan and Viola.

Incumbent Ellen Jaffee faces a challenge from Thomas Gulla, an Airmont Planning Board member, on the Democratic line.

The winner will face Jaffee (on the Working Families line) and Joseph S. Chabot on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines.

NY Assembly District 98: There's lots of primary action in this district, which includes Orange and Rockland counties. In Orange, it includes the towns of Greenville, Minisink, Warwick, Deerpark, including Port Jervis, Monroe and Tuxedo. In Rockland, it includes the northwestern part of the Town of Ramapo.

Appearing twice on the primary ballot — once for Democrats and once for Independence Party voters — is Aron Wieder, the Rockland County Legislator who used to serve on the East Ramapo Board of Education.

Democratic primary:

• Krystal Serrano (Dem, WE)
• Aron Wieder (Dem, I, WF)

Republican primary:

• John Allegro (Rep)
• Karl Brabenec (Rep, C, Rfm, I)

Independence Party:

• Karl Brabenec (Rep, C, Rfm, I)
• Aron Wieder (Dem, I, WF)

In District 98, everyone but Allegro will have a line on the ballot in November.

SEE ALSO: Hudson Valley Guide to the Primaries: Here Are Your State Senate and Assembly Candidates

If you need to figure out which district you live in and who your current Assembly and Senate representatives are, you can plug your address into this helpful online tool put together by the Board of Elections. And if you need to find out where you go to vote, you can input your address online here.

GRAPHIC/ Patch