Incumbent Town Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel won the town Republican Party’s endorsement at its nominating caucus Thursday night, beating Gaetana Ciarlante 132 to 105.
Town Board member Fred Costello won the party’s endorsement with 124 votes, while Allyson Barbaria got the nod over incumbent Town Board member Leeanne Thornton, 112 to 105. Costello and Thornton are members of the Independence Party. Barbaria is a Republican.
Incumbent Highway Supervisor Doug Myer was unopposed.
The town’s Senior Center was packed and sometimes contentious. After Ciarlante lost, her name was put in nomination in place of Republican Party Chairman Joseph Roberti Jr.’s for Town Board. Ciarlante publicly declined the nomination. Roberti explained he’d been a “placeholder” for Ciarlante. She later said she wasn’t sure she had the votes for the position.
“Tonight, the Democratic Party took over the Republican Party,” she said.
Ciarlante is a member of the Conservative Party and was the pick of Roberti going into the evening. Both were nominated at the Conservative Party Caucus in June. Helsmoortel, a member of the Independence Party, was formerly a Republican before leaving the party a decade ago. He also has the Democratic Party nomination for town supervisor.
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