On Nov. 5, citizens across New York State lined up to make their voices heard for the general election of 2019. Saratoga Springs was no exception, as local elections were held for the position of Commissioner of Finance, Mayor, Supervisor, Commissioner of Public Safety, and Commissioner of Public Works.
One of the most contested and closely watched races was for Commissioner of Finance, between incumbent Michele Madigan and Patty Morrison. Last June, Morrison won the Democratic primary, resulting in a split within the party. However, Madigan declared a victory over Morrison on Tuesday night.
Madigan was originally elected in 2012 and has served as Commissioner of Finance over four terms. While in office, she has kept taxes stable and helped to increase sustainable practices such as a “2 megawatt Spa Solar Park”, which was, in part, an initiative to lower the cost of energy for the city of Saratoga.
Democrat incumbent Mayor Meg Kelly also declared a victory over Republican candidate Timothy Holmes.
Kelly and Madigan, along with Robin Dalton, all ran on a “One Saratoga” Platform. The platform intended to support some of the few female candidates and bridge the partisan divide between the two parties. Kelly referenced it saying:
“The nights that these women and I spoke on the phone – every night we were speaking, we were working together. And this is something that hasn’t happened in the past.”
Dalton, a Republican, was elected as the new Commissioner for Public Safety defeating Democrat Kendall Hicks. She is historically the first woman to hold this position.
As for the race for Commissioner of Public Works, Republican incumbent Anthony Scirocco, who has held the position for 12 years, defeated Democratic candidate Dillon Moran. Democrats have stated concerns about Scirocco’s ethics, as he hired his son, Mark Scirocco, to work in water meter service over other candidates who allegedly scored higher on the exams.
The issue of his qualification was further questioned when Mark Scirocco received a DWAI and temporary loss of his license. Therefore, he required a driver to transport him back and forth to water meter service sites in order to do his job.
The race for Supervisor was competitive with three candidates: Matthew Veitch, a Republican, received 40.07% of the vote, while Democrat Tara Gaston received 30.91% , and Republican Stephen Mittler received 28.91%.
The Daily Gazette reported Matthew Veitch and Tara Gaston as the winners of the race. However, according to Northeast Public Radio, the result between Mittler and Gaston is too close to call.
In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how these politicians work together and how well they stick to the promises they made in their campaigns.