Nolan rolls: Defeats Parete in Dem legislative primary with 82% of the vote

Kathy Nolan and John Parete.

In the June 25 Democratic primary, 22nd district Ulster County Legislator Kathy Nolan won handily, polling 490 votes, or 82 percent, to John Parete’s 106 votes. The district covers Shandaken, Olive, Denning and Hardenburgh. 

Parete, a Democratic former legislator who was unseated by Nolan in 2017, has been endorsed by the Republican, Conservative, and Independence parties, but obtained enough petition signatures from Democrats to require a primary.

A total of 597 Democrats voted (with one write-in), while in the Working Families party, Nolan, the sole candidate, received two votes (also with one write-in). In the district, approximately 22 percent of the 2703 registered Democrats voted.

“I’m very, very pleased with the turnout for a non-presidential year, with this the only race in the primary,” said Nolan. “Democrats in the western part of the county have said decisively who they want to be their candidate in November. I’m ready to talk to all the voters in the district about how we can move forward toward November. In similar primaries a few years ago, 10 percent would be a good turnout. It’s a reflection of voters being engaged and voting for people they know and trust. Engaging voters is one of my primary goals, so I feel good about that.”

Parete, mixing his sports metaphors, was looking at the long run. “This is just the first quarter in a four-quarter football game,” Parete said. “We’re in boxing round one of a scheduled 10-rounder. From here to November, it will be different kind of campaign. There will be a lot more people involved, not just Democrats. The result was not unexpected. If around 25% of Democrats voted, 75 percent didn’t, and a lot of them will be my friends.”