By Patricia Breakey
Four Delaware County towns had supervisor races this year, with residents electing two new supervisors and returning two incumbent supervisors to office.
The only countywide race in Delaware County was for the position of treasurer, with unopposed incumbent Republican Treasurer Beverly Shields winning with 6,112 votes.
Republican Bob McCarthy was elected Sidney supervisor, outdistancing Democrat Dawn Rivers Baker by a vote of 543 to 336.
McCarthy will fill the seat occupied by Republican Supervisor Joseph Maddalone, who lost the Republican primary and withdrew from the race, though he had an independent line on the ballot.
McCarthy is an industrial engineer who recently retired from his bindery business in Unadilla.
“I am really happy that I won,” McCarthy said.
Baker said: “It’s disappointing, but it was a good run and I enjoyed the campaign. I wish him well.”
Baker is the Sidney Democratic Committee chairwoman. She owns and operates a small publishing business.
Bruce Dolph was elected to the Walton supervisor position that was left vacant by the death of John Meredith. Meredith, 29, died Oct. 26 from complications of a malignant brain tumor.
Dolph garnered 600 votes in a race with a rumored write-in campaign. There were no write-in votes reported in Walton, but Delaware County Republican Election Commissioner William Campbell said the ballots will be re-canvassed Monday and additional information will be available.
“I expect almost all of the numbers to change when we hand-count the ballots,” Campbell said, noting this was the first time the new balloting machines were used in a general election.
Dolph was nominated by the Walton Republican Committee to replace Meredith on the ballot. Meredith had been running unopposed for his fourth term in office.
Dolph said: “It feels good that people think I can continue in John’s footsteps. We have a good town board and I think we can accomplish a lot.”
Dolph said some of the immediate issues Walton’s board faces are negotiating union contracts, continuing to press the state to reopen Bearspring State Park and promoting expanded boating on the Cannonsville Reservoir.
In Kortright, Republican Supervisor George Haynes Jr. won re-election by a vote of 214 to 185. He was challenged by Steven C. Bower of Kelso Road.
A race for Hancock town supervisor position developed in August when Salvatore Rubera filed an independent petition to run against incumbent Republican Hancock Supervisor Sam Rowe, but Rowe was re-elected, 473 to 157.
There were council races in 10 of the 19 towns in Delaware County, with the closest races in Middletown and Sidney.
In Middletown, Democrat Michael Finberg was re-elected by 465 votes, with competitors Democrat John Bernhardt and Republican Jacob Rosa tying at 387.
In Sidney, three of the four candidates are within 16 votes of each other in a race that may be decided when absentee ballots are counted. As the polls closed, Republican Eric Wilson led with 482 votes, followed by Democrat C. Peter Cordes with 473 votes and Republican Joseph Ermeti at 466. Democrat Veronica Crandall earned 310 votes.
