New Paltz supervisor keeps seat in close race

Supervisor Susan Zimet narrowly held onto her seat in Tuesday’s election. Voters also elected Jeff Logan and Daniel Torres to the Town Board, and they re-elected Justice Jonathan Katz and Highway Supervisor Chris Marx. All results are unofficial.

Voters opted to go with extra funding for Elting Memorial Library. Library officials asked taxpayers to bring the $321,000 Elting gets each year up to $396,000. For a house assessed at $300,000 the ballot initiative’s success will mean $18 extra in taxes next year. In New Paltz 1,664 voted yes, while 922 voted no.

County Legislature incumbents Ken Wishnick and Hector Rodriguez retained their seats up in Kingston. In District 17, Wishnick received 1,268 votes to opponent Butch Dener’s 660 votes. There were three write-in votes.

District 20’s Rodriguez, who ran unopposed, got 815 votes. There were 14 write-in votes against him.

New Paltz’s race for town supervisor ended up being close – within about 160 votes. Zimet got 1,416 votes, while her Republican challenger Randall Leverette got 1,259 votes. There were 10 write-in votes for supervisor.

In the Town Board race, Torres got 1,948 votes, Logan got 2,001 votes and challenger Ray Lunati, backed by the GOP, got 881 votes. There were 23 write-in votes for Town Board.

Highway Superintendent Marx got 1,827 votes compared to his challenger Fred Vitarius’s 770 votes. There were eight write-in votes for highway super.

Justice Katz will hold onto those black robes for another term. The incumbent got 1,987 votes compared to his challenger Richard LaRose’s 602. There were six write-in votes for justice.

Neither Leverette nor Supervisor Zimet responded immediately to calls seeking comment for this story. It is unclear if Leverette will call for a recount to challenge Tuesday’s results.

Tuesday’s vote results are still preliminary until they’re double checked by the Ulster County Board of Elections.