Voters across the north Country have little homework to do this election season as only a handful of contests come down to a decision.
Comparing notes on candidates involved in an actual race involves a short list, including the county treasurer, a highway superintendent race and one race for a town board seat in the towns of Granville, Hartford and Hebron.
In Granville, none of the seven races taking place features an opponent. Supervisor Matt Hicks and board members Mary Emery and Matt Rathbun are each running unopposed. Town Clerk Jenny Martelle and highway superintendent John Tanner also face no opponent in November.
Judge Roger Forando, and candidate for the second judge’s spot Ron Daigle Jr., also each run unopposed for the town’s two judge positions.
Granville Republican Chairperson Delores ‘Maizie’ Morse said it is a sign things are going relatively well, considering the times, that incumbents are not facing opposition from the opposite party or an independent.
The candidates up for reelection and running unopposed are largely Republican by a wide margin.
“They must be satisfied with those in the offices, that’s the only thing I can think of,” Morse said. “The incumbents are doing a good enough job so no one wants to run against them until they need to, I guess.”
“I’m a little bit surprised, but it appears to me everyone seems to be satisfied with the jobs the incumbents are doing. That’s my feeling, if people are not satisfied they’re more apt to (run) – I guess it’s a good time to be a Republican,” Morse said.
Morse’s counterpart, Granville Town Democratic Chair Nicholas Silitch said the party caucused twice in Granville, but had not found any candidates for local offices.
“We basically have candidates for coroner and a judicial candidate and that’s it,” Silitch said.
Silitch said it was not a case of failing to agree on a candidate for an office, no party members came forward who were willing to run.
“We have no problem reaching a consensus, we have a problem finding people interested enough coming to the caucus,” he said.
The first caucus produced no Democratic candidates and when a judge slot opened up in the town after the retirement of town Judge Donald Parker, the party met again – with the same result.
“We had nobody who wanted to run,” he said. “It’s difficult for Democrats in Granville,” Silitch said.
In the area, the only town with at least one race has two. In Hebron a contest for two seats for town board has three candidates in the race.
Incumbents B. Martin Warner and James Nelson are joined by Democrat Robert Nailor for councilman seats – when the votes are counted one of the three will miss out on a board seat.
In the second race, incumbent Floyd Pratt faces a challenge from Ivan Watros for town highway superintendent
Also running for reelection, unopposed, is supervisor Brian Campbell.
In Hartford no races are contested.
Supervisor Dana Haff faces no challenger after winning the Republican Primary for the seat.
Also up for election is former supervisor Henry Gallinari making his return to town politics seeking to fill the remaining two-year term of Councilman Lee Wilson.
Newcomer Elizabeth Foote seeks the chair opened up when councilman Robert Miller decided against another term and incumbent Kevin Eastman seeks to return to his seat on the Hartford town board.
In the race for Washington County Treasurer Albert Nolette, already the current deputy county treasurer, will face off with the opponent he defeated in the Republican Party primary Gayle Hall.
Hall, the former Fort Ann Supervisor, made the general election by securing the Independence Party line.