At the risk of aggravating column readers who only take notice in presidential years, the decisions by voters on the local level can have a different impact. While the candidates are much the same as those we saw last year, this year’s local elections are markedly different than any election since, I think, 1683 when the British system was established in the former Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. This year’s local elections will be held in conjunction with state and congressional offices.

Majority Democrats in the state legislature have promulgated this historic change for the stated rationale of increasing participation in local elections. Who could argue against that? Republicans did. This get-out-the-vote was designed to get the Democratic vote, says the GOP, which in Ulster County outnumbers Republican enrollment by close to two-to-one.

Democrats already hold big majorities in both houses of the legislature (a huge supermajority in the Assembly and one seat away from one in the Senate) in addition to all four statewide offices. And yet they seek to extend their power and influence to more rural upstate places. When is enough enough? The answer, like when the county tried to locate a landfill in Saugerties, is, “Never!”

I’m not too sure that the people running in 2025, town officers and the county legislature, were all that ga-ga about returning to the lists after a few months off, but them’s the rules. Whether we get more or less turnout on the local level, we’ll know once the count becomes official.

Let's Go From Top to Bottom

In the race for governor, Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul was up by 14 points two weeks before the election against challenger Bruce Blakeman (I almost wrote Bruce Tuchman). Every politician on the losing side of polls claims they’re all wrong, but 14 points is a deep hole where Democrats command a three-to-two majority.

Attorney general and comptroller are next in the parade, though some of the underfunded, unrecognizable challengers at least offer some new ideas.

I found interesting reports from around the state that early voting has surged by as much as triple digits, compared to the last midterm elections. In one of the more memorable negative headlines, the Freeman declared that early voting in Ulster was last in the state with a 41 percent increase. Democrats must have been dancing in the streets.

Just who are these people? Holdovers from the presidential elections? Busloads of New York City folks arriving in the promised land? Mole people? But there may be something else in the air. If some people are annoyed with voting every other year, others might be just itching to get a piece of the incumbents. People are pissed — worse, scared, and this is their opportunity to make it count.

The Congressional Level

Pundits have been calling the contest between incumbent Democrat Pat Ryan and Republican challenger Jackie Auringer in the 18th Congressional District for months now. Ryan claims independent polls give him a 17-point edge. His own polls might have him even further out front.

Auringer says she plans to run a two-term campaign, meaning she hopes for a comeback in ’28. She’ll need to get into the single digits before anyone takes that seriously.

Meanwhile in the 19th C.D., Rep. Josh Ryan, D-Ithaca, is just a face in the paper, like his Republican opponent Pete Oberacker, a no-show. Oberacker was a state senator for two terms but rarely seen in the numerous towns he represented in Ulster. Given that the Republican congressional campaign committee has pulled the plug on the soon-to-be state senator, and Riley is bulging with cash, the outcome on this one is predictable.

State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-Saugerties, has very quickly become the go-to state legislator in Ulster County as she seeks her third term in office. She’s earned it. I can’t count how many local officials have told me that Hinchey delivers. Republican foe Pat Sheehan of Ruby loves the limelight and doesn’t seem to mind being buried every year.

Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha, opposed by political newbie Santos Lopez of Saugerties, has conducted a remarkably lowkey campaign this year — remarkable because as a Democratic Socialists of America member, the DSA’s worldview is on the ballot all over the country.

Shrestha did put out a slick flyer with a nice photo and a typical pie-in-the-sky message that read, “The Future Must Be Beautiful.”

I don’t know what that means but I wonder if she should be more focused on improving the lives of her constituents in the here and now.

County Legislature

With 10 seats uncontested of the 23 and Democrats guaranteed at least a majority, the county legislature doesn’t offer much excitement. But that’s just me. I’ve lived for a long time when these elections actually meant something.

Minority Republicans in the closing days of the election have begun acting like they care. What they care most about is increasing their minuscule minority from four seats.

The 19-4 Democratic majority in no way represents the two-to-one Democratic party enrollment in the county. Undemocratic on its face, it compares with the 28-5 majority Republicans held twice in the old 33-member legislature.

Do I expect Democrats to do the Republicans’ jobs for them? Of course not. But I’d like to see that huge majority trimmed a bit in this year’s elections.

And Then There's New Paltz

Somewhere there’s an historian who can tell me which came first, the village or the town. I’d guess the village because of its earlier settlement and access to nearby farmland.

In any event, the village and the town have been separate entities since the 19th century. From time to time, advocates in either or both have advanced the idea of merging the two municipalities.

The county directory, my Bible, is a bit misleading on the populations of the two entities. The town is listed with 14,407 residents, while the village shows 7,324.

If one were to conclude there are almost 22,000 people living in New Paltz, one would be wrong. The 14,407 includes both entities. And by state law, both town and village residents would have to separately approve the consolidation.

As such, there isn’t a huge difference between town and village populations, one which might be a factor in Tuesday’s elections.

The leaders of both town and village have taken firm stands on the referendum being presented to the people. New Paltz Town Supervisor Tim Rogers favors consolidation. As a former village mayor, he’s seen both sides now. I’d be more inclined to take his advice. Village Mayor Alex Wojcik urges residents to vote against it. With consolidation, Wojcik would be out of a job, poor thing.

Whichever way it goes, I predict a contest between Wojo and Rogers in two years.

As for all you ballot box people, get out there and vote. The issues are still in doubt.