Mountaintop Elections

By Michael Ryan

MOUNTAINTOP - There are only two races for town supervisor, - albeit one of them being a startling write-in campaign - in the six mountaintop towns of Jewett, Windham, Ashland, Prattsville, Lexington and Hunter.

JEWETT

It was all very quiet on the political front in Jewett until town councilman John Pumilia delivered an October surprise, announcing he would be seeking the town supervisor’s job as a write-in candidate.

Pumilia will challenge Greg Kroyer, the incumbent and a fellow Republican. Kroyer was endorsed at a GOP caucus in April to again represent the ticket, seeking a second term, having been in office four years.

Republicans, back in April, also embraced two tried-and-true members of the town council for reelection, James Pellitteri and John Giordano. No other positions are open this election cycle.

Democrats assembled in mid-July, endorsing committee treasurer Bill Rod and local business owner Renee Blinkwolt to run against Pellitteri and Giordano, offering no one to oppose Kroyer.

That unobstructed path suddenly changed during a very loud and visibly contentious October 8 council meeting where Pumilia unveiled his plan.

The timing of Pumilia’s entry has added keen interest to the 2025 election in Jewett where council sessions have been characterized by steadily increasing discordance over the past few months.

Town business is being conducted but underlying frictions are evident, and tensions boiled over in a heated argument between Kroyer and Pumilia during the October 8 meeting.

Their disagreement surrounded a directive recently issued by Kroyer that anyone wanting to address the board at monthly meetings must request, beforehand, to be placed on the agenda.

That is commonly done for residents but Pumilia took exception to the rule also applying to elected officials, with Kroyer indicating it was being put in place to restore order to the meetings which had become roilsome.

It was the final town council session before the November 4 election. Since then, Pumilia has distributed a mass mailing supporting his own campaign along with a second GOP write-in candidate, Tammy Vanucchi, for town council, also backing the Democrat, Bill Rod, for town council.

Whoever wins the supervisor’s spot, it will be for only a 3-year term due to State-level, election law changes, balancing election day schedules to even-numbered years, aiming for greater voter turnout.

Pumilia is midway through his first, 4-year term, and would retain his council seat should Kroyer emerge as the victor.

WINDHAM

Incumbent town supervisor Thomas Hoyt, a Republican, wants to secure a fourth, 2-year term, facing competition from Democratic Party candidate Connor Exum, a political newcomer.

Hoyt ran unopposed the past two cycles while Exum announced, last year, he would attempt to break the generational trend of GOP dominance.

Republican rule dates back decades and further, often without Democratic Party participation, but Windham will be a busy place in the upcoming voting, also having contests for town council and a judgeship.

Exum has brought attention to what would otherwise be another ho-hum, sleep walk election, calling for an open debate with Hoyt where the two men would respond to questions from the citizenry

Hoyt, in public service for three decades including nearly twenty years as town highway superintendent, has declined the invitation, saying he will stand on his lengthy and community-oriented record.

The candidates have come out on opposite sides of a proposed zoning law which Hoyt strongly supports, saying the town “should have enacted land use regulations twenty-five years ago.”

Exum opposes the measure, claiming it will create inequities for new and small businesses while not addressing matters like affordable housing, using the slogan, “Let’s Make Windham Local Again.”

Whomever wins will merely secure a 1-year term, needing to run anew in 2026 for a 2-year term due to fresh election rules set by the State in an effort to increase voter turnout in even-numbered years.

Democrats are offering a second political newcomer, Debra Daily, to break the GOP hold on the town board, with longtime Republican councilmen Wayne Van Valin and Ian Peters going for re-election.

The two top vote-getters among the three-way runoff will secure victory. It is head-to-head in the chase for town judge.

Marilyn Carreras currently dons the robe, having been appointed to the bench, last year, to fill an unexpired term. Carreras, a Republican, has Democrat Ann Marie Rabin standing in the way of her return.

Republicans running unopposed are Robert “BJ” Murray for highway superintendent, replacing Gary Thorington who has announced his retirement, and incumbent tax collector Katherine Murray.

ASHLAND

Longtime town supervisor Richard Tompkins is leaving but he isn’t going very far as Ashland is set to have a completely unopposed election, a political circumstance that is anything but a rarity.

Everything was decided in June after the GOP held its caucus while Democrats could muster no one to run in this Republican bastion.

Richard Tompkins had earlier announced his retirement as supervisor while keeping it no secret he was hoping to become the highway superintendent, replacing his brother, Larry Tompkins, who was stepping down.

Richard Tompkins, a public servant in multiple capacities for nearly half-a-century, handily fended off a caucus challenge, this past summer, as did Chris Hamilton, the GOP choice to be the next town supervisor.

There will be no suspense on November 4 in Ashland, which, again, is not unusual. Running unopposed is incumbent town clerk Dawn Thorp.

Incumbent town councilmen Jeff Gonzalez and Scott Tuttle were picked to come back for more. One change will occur. Christine Matista will be succeeding Kristen Leach who is retiring as a town justice.

PRATTSVILLE

There are seven positions open in Prattsville with several familiar names filling the currently dominant Republican Party ticket.

Democrats, meanwhile, continue to keep the two-party system alive and well in the little village at the confluence of the streams.

The slate for the GOP is headed by incumbent town supervisor Greg Cross who has been in public service well into two decades.

Cross was a town council member prior to becoming supervisor in Prattsville, previously serving as Lexington town supervisor.

Cross is joined on the GOP slate by incumbent town council members Eli Martin and Heidi Ruehlmann and current town clerk Theresa Whitworth.

Carole Cangelosi is the GOP selection for tax collector, on the job for many years, and incumbent Daniel Peckham is again the choice for town justice.

While those folks are well known in government, there will be a new face at the highway department where Bill Sutton is retiring as roads chief.

“This is twenty-nine years and I’m getting tired, plus the way prices are going up is driving me crazy,” Sutton said, announcing his departure.

“It’s been a good time,” says Sutton, expecting to stay busy with a slew of grandkids and a great grandson who shares a birthday with him.

To possibly follow in the boot-steps of Sutton, the GOP has picked Dewitt Olmstead, a onetime highway department worker and a local pastor.

Democrats held their caucus in July, led by longtime Party chairwoman and former town business officer Michelle Brainard.

No challenger stepped forward for town supervisor or tax collector, though there will be competition for town clerk and town council.

Bonita Chase was selected to try for the town clerk’s job. She is a former town councilwoman, helping guide the community through the long and difficult recovery from Tropical Storm Irene.

Democrats have further chosen Stephanie Braswell and Darcy Jaeger-Brand to vie for town council.

Democrats have tabbed Jeremy Marsh for highway superintendent while cross-endorsing Daniel Peckham for town justice.

LEXINGTON

Democrats and Republicans have made the polling place easy breezy in the 2025 election, picking the same candidates for every open position.

Robert Riccardella was selected by Democrats and then cross-endorsed by Republicans, while incumbent town council members Bradley Jenkins and Michael Barcone, Republican and Democrat, respectively, are running unopposed for two open council chairs.

Maureen Anshanslin will represent both parties for town clerk/tax collector, replacing popular Charlotte Jaeger who is retiring after a long and very successful career.

Incumbent highway superintendent Kevin Simmons Jr. is unchallenged and running on both the Democratic and Republican Party tickets, as is current town justice Steven Rossignol.

While saying hello to Riccardella, the community will also be bidding an unwanted adieu to his predecessor, Jo Ellen Schermerhorn.

Schermerhorn, previously a town councilwoman, has earned the highest trust in her years as a public servant, wishing to spend more minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years with her grandchildren.

HUNTER

Republicans and Democrats made everything simple as pie in the town of Hunter where everyone is running unopposed, including incumbent town supervisor Sean Mahoney endorsed by the two major parties and the important Conservative Party.

Following suit with the political triumvirate are incumbent town councilman Dolph Semenza and current town justice Kimberly Prince Walsh.

Tabbed by both Democrats and the GOP are incumbents Ernest Reale for town council and Robert Blain for highway superintendent.