Surdam In A Nail Biter In Hoosick Election
Smith, Gundrum and Houghtling Claim Victories
By Doug La Rocque and Alex Brooks
When all the politicking was done and the votes were cast, the local political landscape is changed, but in a few races, the proverbial dust has yet to settle.
In the Town of Hoosick, Mark Surdam was seeking his fifth term as Town Supervisor. Early returns showed him trailing his Republican challenger Councilman Bill Hanselman, but after the votes were counted in all seven election districts, incumbent Surdam held a 20 vote lead. The winner will not be declared until after all absentee ballots are counted. The Rensselaer County Board of Elections has not yet set a date for that count.
Contacted by The Eastswick Press, Supervisor Surdam would only say at this point “very close, we will see how the absentee ballots come in.”
There was also a three-way race for two open town council seats. Deputy Supervisor and incumbent Eric Sheffer was endorsed by both the Democratic and Republican parties, and was the largest vote-getter with a total of 1,236. Democrat Jackie Houghton currenty sits in second place, ready to claim the second council seat, with 720 votes. Republican Jim Hurlburt is in third with 627 ballots cast his way.
Dennis Smith Will Take The Reins In Petersburgh
The current Town Supervisor, Alan Webster, is stepping down as Supervisor. Councilman and current Deputy Town Supervisor Dennis Smith won the race for Petersburgh Supervisor over Republican candidate and former Supervisor Siegried Krahforst by a vote of 212 to 133. Incumbent Supervisor Alan Webster won one of the two open seats on the Town Board with 194 votes.
The winner of the other Town Board seat is too close to call. Heinz Noeding received 164 votes and Tom Berry received 161. With affidavit ballots and absentee ballots yet to be counted, the final total could go either way. Democrat Chelsea Jordan received 129 votes in the race for Town Board. Amy Manchester, running unopposed for re-election as Town Justice, received 254 votes.
Photo by Alex Brooks
Dennis Smith said he felt “humbled” by the large margin of support for him, and said, “I hope to justify the people’s choice.” Asked about what he is most eager to accomplish when he takes office, he said he wants to keep the water project moving and aggressively work to resolve the landfill situation. He also said he hopes to make progress on the regional ambulance crisis and make the Town Hall more energy efficient to keep heating and other energy costs down.