by David Flint
In Eastern Rensselaer County the Towns of Hoosick and Stephentown voted for President Obama on Tuesday – 53% in Hoosick and 54% in Stephentown – similar to results county-wide in Rensselaer County. Berlin, Petersburgh and Grafton, however, bucked the trend and went for Mitt Romney by margins of 57%, 58% and 51% respectively. [private]Kirsten Gillibrand easily won re-election to her U.S. Senate seat defeating Wendy Long in all the local towns as she did county-wide and state-wide.
Republican Chris Gibson bested his challenger Julian Schreibman district-wide with a 54% margin. In Rensselaer County it was 63%. Gibson took Eastwick towns, too, with at least 60%, except for Stephentown where the margin was 58%.
Republican Kathleen Marchione of Saratoga will take over Roy McDonald’s seat in the new 43rd NY State Senate District that now includes all of Columbia County. She won in Rensselaer County with a 49% margin and similarly in all the Eastern Rensselaer County towns. Roy McDonald, running on the Independence ticket, did not campaign but still took between 14% and 18% of the vote in these towns.
In the 107th Assembly District Republican Steve McLaughlin defeated Democrat Cheryl Roberts in all the Eastwick towns and in the county, too, but by only three votes in Stephentown.
The candidates for NYS Supreme Court were probably not too familiar to most voters. Voters were asked to vote for two candidates from a list of five. Berlin, Grafton and Petersburgh voted for Republicans. Hoosick and Stephentown voted for one Republican and one Democrat, as did voters county-wide.
For County Court, Troy City Court Judge Chris Maier lost out county-wide and in all Eastwick towns to Republican Debra Young, Hoosick’s Town Attorney. Young was below 60% only in Hoosick and Stephentown, as well as county-wide.
Republican Catherine Cholakis easily won election to Family Court Judge in all the towns.
Town Council candidates Richard deLeon in Berlin and Duane Goodermote in Petersburgh, who were filling council seats they had been appointed to, ran unopposed and were elected for one year terms.
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