Town elections analysis
Cold weather duty, as Dems display signs at the Gazebo and voters respond with honking and waving.
Democratic candidates did well on Tuesday, both in the Town of Chatham and in Columbia County.
Unofficial results show that both Angus Eaton and John Wapner won Town Board seats and will give the board a 4-1 Democratic majority as of January. Town Supervisor candidate Chris Spencer had a strong showing in the polls and came within 36 votes, or 2 %, of winning.
Check ballot results here as they are updated by the county Board of Elections.
Chatham Dems presented a vigorous campaign for Town candidates, who ran on both the Democratic and Chatham Neighbors lines on the ballot. The focus was on the expertise and experience that our candidates offered to make Town government effective, efficient, and targeted to address the needs of residents.
We funded a wide-ranging social media campaign through our Facebook page and Instagram. In videos called “Voices of Chatham,” local citizens spoke to the positive qualities of life in our town, and gave advice to candidates running for office. Our candidates were also featured in short interviews online.
The intensity of our campaign efforts increased steadily throughout late summer and up to Election Day. Thanks to Democrats’ financial support and hands-on volunteer work, we were able to showcase our candidates and send the Chatham Dems message, Let’s make Chatham work for all of us.
Chatham Dems also collaborated with the County Democrats and Indivisible Columbia NY to canvas in person, by phone and by text to promote Democrats Chris Liberati-Conant for County District Attorney, and Mike Howard and Brian Herman for County Justice. All three won.
Election results were collated and updated on election night at the joint election watch party held at the Chatham Brewery. By 9:20 pm, polling results started to arrive from the three Chatham polling sites, but overall results were not available until the results of early voting and absentee ballots from all towns in Columbia County were computed and sent from the County Board of Elections soon after. Given margins of vote tallies, initial results were announced, and these have been updated regularly by the BOE.
The watch party’s enthusiastic crowd heard from DA-elect Chris Liberati-Conant and Mike Howard after their victories were confirmed. Brian Herman’s win was suggested but not certain that night. The Chatham Dems in attendance greeted the news that board candidates Eaton and Wapner were likely winners, and waited for a final count for Supervisor candidate Chris Spencer, whose strong showing was inspirational.
Chatham Dems president Cindy Bobseine said, “We are proud of the work of all or our Chatham Dems and grateful for the support of so many local citizens. We look forward to a final vote count, and to the work of the newly constituted Town Board in January 2024.”