by Margaret Casey
The Town of Hoosick Democrats and Hoosick First Committee held a wildly successful Meet The Candidates dinner at the Polish Hall on Friday, September 27. “The enthusiasm for electing a new Town Supervisor, Highway Superintendent, two new Town Council members and County legislator was electric tonight,” said Bob Ryan, Committee Chair. “People are so eager to get a Town government with integrity, we sold out of everything!”
Candidates at the successful event included Mark Surdam, a current Town Council member, now running for Town Supervisor. “We can’t afford not to replace our current Supervisor. We need someone who actually cares about the Town and its residents,” Surdam said, “Someone who will govern with honesty.” He also noted that all the candidates on the Hoosick First line will need to get elected, in order to make any real change, so he encouraged everyone to vote for all the Hoosick First candidates.
Those other candidates, happily serving spaghetti to all 250 plus diners included Bill Shiland, running for Highway Superintendent, and Dave Sutton and Mike Hickey, both running for seats on the Town Council. Also attending was Hoosick Falls resident Ben Patten, who is seeking a term as Rensselaer County legislator. Patten took his turn at serving the supporters, while getting a chance to meet and greet voters. Rounding out the candidates in attendance was Joshua Sabo, who is running for Rensselaer County Surrogate Court Judge. All the candidates had a chance to address the overflow crowd and were received with cheers all around.
A 50/50 raffle was held during the event, and $100 was won by Larry Baker. But Baker generously donated it back to the campaign coffers, saying he was giving it “to get this great team elected!” Mark Surdam noted at the end of the evening, “It was a huge success, and voters across all party lines are excited about our candidates and looking forward to some positive change in Hoosick.” For more information, visit www.hoosickfirst.com.