by David Flint
Although Barack Obama took 62% of the New York State vote and 53% of Rensselaer County’s vote, he failed to win in all of the Eastwick towns. Obama and Biden did win in Hoosick (52%) and Stephentown (53%), but McCain and Palin made off with 52% of the votes in Berlin, 53% in Petersburgh and 58% in Grafton. (A Town by Town vote tally appears below.)
There was solid agreement, however in the race for the 20th US Congressional District. Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand won re-election easily, defeating Sandy Treadwell and taking a majority of the votes in all of the Eastwick towns, ranging from 58% in Berlin to 64% in Stephentown.
Republican Roy McDonald also had no problem winning election to the New York State Senate in the 43rd District to replace Joseph Bruno, defeating former Gillibrand aide Michael Russo. McDonald won in all the Eastwick towns, taking over 60% of the vote everywhere except Stephentown where he won with 54%, a margin that was closer to the County vote of 55%.
All of the Eastwick towns except Stephentown chose to keep McDonald’s current seat in the New York State Assembly on the Republican side, voting for Tony Jordan in favor of Democrat challenger Ian McGaughey by margins ranging from 51% in Hoosick to 55% in Berlin. In Stephentown 52% of the voters opted for McGaughey.
Rensselaer County Court Judge Patrick McGrath defeated long time incumbent Anthony Carpinello in the race for NYS Supreme Court Justice in the 3rd Judicial District. McGrath won with a 56% margin in the District but took 61% of the County vote. He also won everywhere in the Eastwick area with margins ranging from 53% in Berlin to 62% in Grafton.
Unexpired terms for two positions in the area will be filled by the winners of two unopposed elections. Marie Claus received 614 votes for a seat on the Grafton Town Board and Raymond Harrison, Jr. was elected with 384 votes to succeed Earl Brock as Petersburgh’s Highway Superintendent.
2008 Unofficial General Election Results – Rensselaer County Board of Elections
Note: Results do not include absentee, affidavit ballots and/or write-in votes.
Berlin Grafton Hoosick Petersburgh Stephentown County
President and Vice President
Obama/Biden 351 491 1,451 328 696 36,550
McCain/Palin 399 679 1,325 379 589 31,126
Nader/Gonzalez 11 5 18 13 16 726
20th US Congressional District
Kirsten Gillibrand 436 618 1,703 413 812 18,318
Sandy Treadwell 317 429 951 285 448 10,524
NYS 43rd Senatorial District
Michael Russo 221 337 924 233 510 26,132
Roy McDonald 472 662 1,559 423 640 34,234
Chris Consuello 19 15 67 14 28 1,373
NYS 112th Assembly District
Ian McGaughey 315 474 1,250 308 628 4,002
Tony Jordan 386 511 1,287 351 575 4,417
NYS Supreme Court
Patrick J. McGrath 378 617 1,392 360 654 38,238
Anthony J. Carpinello 333 383 1,087 298 543 24,216
NYS Constitution Amendment (Veterans Benefits)
YES 162 299 673 178 354 21,008
NO 64 78 210 55 98 7,003
Grafton Town Council
Marie E. Claus 614
Petersburgh Highway Superintendent
Raymond A. Harrison, Jr. 384