Eastern Rensselaer Co. Election Results By Town

by David Flint
The only contested local election in the Eastwick area was that for a position left vacant on the Stephentown Town Council after Larry Eckhardt was elected last year as Town Supervisor. Bill Jennings (D, WF) defeated John Meekins (R,C) for that seat with 57% of the  vote. Also in Stephentown, Wes Edwards running unopposed was elected to another term as Town Justice. Edwards has already served 47 years in that position.
In Berlin Stanley J. Pettibone II was elected Town Assessor without opposition, and in Grafton Rebecca Snyder was elected Town Justice, also without opposition.
Andrew Cuomo won over Tea Party favorite Carl Palladino everywhere in Eastwick except in Grafton where Palladino got 47% versus Cuomo’s 44%. Cuomo took 56% of the vote in both Hoosick and Stephentown and squeaked by in Berlin with 46% versus Palladino’s 44%.
In the race for State Comptroller, voters here didn’t much like incumbent Democrat Tom DiNapoli, the former Long Island Assemblyman, preferring Harry Wilson (R,I,C) from Scarsdale. Wilson won easily in all five towns, although DiNapoli won statewide.
For Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, who also won the statewide contest, lost out to Dan Donovan from Staten Island. Donovan won easily everywhere but Stephentown where he was edged out by Schneiderman 51% to 49%.
For United States Senator, Chuck Schumer easily won reelection and also led Jay Townsend (R,C) in this area, except in Grafton where Townsend won by two votes. Schumer just squeaked by Townsend in Berlin but won big in Stephentown 61% to 38%.
Upstate native Kirsten Gillibrand was also reelected and had little difficulty beating Staten Islander Joseph DioGuardi (R,C) in the Eastwick area as well as in Rensselaer County. Her margin was smallest in Grafton (50% vs. 47%) and greatest in Stephentown (62% vs. 37%).
In the 20th Congressional District Chris Gibson (R,C) easily beat incumbent Scott Murphy (D,I,WF) taking 58% of the Rensselaer County vote and winning with similar margins in the Eastwick towns, again everywhere but Stephentown where Murphy had a slight lead 51% vs. 49%.
Roy McDonald (R,I,C) won reelection to the State Senate defeating Democrat and Working Families challenger Joanne Yepsen 55% to 45% in Rensselaer County, and doing even better out this way. McDonald’s percentages were in the 60s everywhere but Stephentown where he was edged out by Yepsen 51% to 49%.
In the 112th NYS Assembly District Tony Jordan ran unopposed and was reelected. In the 108th Assembly District which includes New Lebanon, Independence Party incumbent Tim Gordon, also endorsed by the Democrats and the Working Family Party, was losing Wednesday morning to Republican challenger Steve McLaughlin 53% to 47%.