Contested Town Races Galore in November

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – Contested races seem to be on in more than half of the 14 Livingston County towns to send in unofficial caucus results so far.

The Livingston County Board of Elections reminds the public that caucus results will not be certified until late September and might change before then.

“There will be caucuses through September 19 and candidates can decline until September 22,” said David DiPasquale, Democratic Commissioner for the Board of Elections. “We’re receiving petitions for independent lines constantly and we’ve already had one declination, out of Springwater for Town Council. These names can change at any time and we won’t really know what the ballots look like until the end of September.”

That said, so far caucuses filed say that in Geneseo, two Town Council seats are sought by SUNY Geneseo student Wesley Ebersole (D), Leah Fletcher (D), incumbent Patti LaVigne (R, Geneseo United) and Ron Maxwell (R, Geneseo United). Maxwell is the Town of Geneseo’s former Code Enforcement Officer. SUNY Geneseo professor Tony Macula (D) is running against Andrea Bailey (R, Geneseo United), who is Livingston County’s Deputy Clerk, for a third Town Council seat vacated by the retirement of Councilman Jerry Wrubel, who moved to Knoxville, TN.

In Conesus, hotly divisive litigation and legislation affecting the Myers Inn dominated public discourse at the Republican caucus. Robert DeLana (C) is challenging incumbent Town Supervisor Brenda Donohue (R, D, Preserve Conesus). Two town council seats are sought by incumbents Dan Mulvaney (D, Preserve Conesus) and Republican Don Wester (R, Preserve Conesus) and challenger Catherine Dickerson (R). At the caucus, some attention was focused on her association with Conesus Republican Committee Chair Charles Dickerson, who she said is her husband.

In Lima, Michael Falk (C) and Colleen Allen (R) are running for Town Supervisor. That seat was held by incumbent Supervisor Peter Yendell for 16 years. He says that he will retire at the end of this term.

In Livonia, Marty Hughes (D) is challenging incumbent Eric Gott (R, C, Livonia First) for Town Supervisor. Gott is also Chairman of the Livingston County Board of Supervisors. Two Town Council seats are sought by Peter Dougherty (R), incumbent Matthew Gascon (R), Mike Donivan (D) and Tom Prato (D).

In Groveland, two Town Council seats are sought by Craig Phelps (R), Amy Phelps (R), Mark Hoffman (D) and Ronald Niedermaier (D).

In Nunda, Dana Wood Sr. (Nunda Road Maintenance) is challenging incumbent Rick Moran (D, R).

In Ossian, two Town Council seats are sought by Louis Patane (R), Patrick Jager (R) and Rhea Walker (D).

In Springwater, two Town Council seats are sought by Mark Hopkins (D), Tom Canute Jr. (R) and Lawrence Gnau (R).

In West Sparta, two Town Council seats are sought by Laurie Cosimano (D), Gregory Keagy (D), Chuck Little (R) and Dominic Cosimano (R).

In York, two Town Council seats are sought by incumbents Lynn Parnell (D, R) and Norman Gates (D, R), who are challenged by Dustin Geiger on the FTP line.