Dems Oust Incumbents from Three County Board Seats

By DARLA M. YOUNGS
OTSEGO COUNTY

According to the Otsego County Board of Elections unofficial election results as of Monday, November 10, Republicans lost some ground across the county, mirroring national trends.

In the half dozen contested races for seats on the Otsego County Board of Representatives, all six of which are currently held by Republicans, incumbents won only three. The board will be split seven Republicans to seven Democrats. However, because of the county’s weighted voting system, where each representative’s vote share is dependent on their district’s population, Republicans will retain a slim majority.

Second District (Butternuts, Morris, Pittsfield) incumbent James P. Powers appears to have defeated challenger Jason M. Cianciotto (DEM, IBE) by just nine votes. Third District (Laurens, Otego) incumbent Richard Brockway (REP, CON) defeated challenger Pamela Wik-Grimm (DEM) and incumbent Jennifer Mickle (REP, CON) retained her Sixth District (Decatur, Maryland, Westford, Worcester) seat over challenger Joanne Tobey (DEM).

Meanwhile, Fourth District (Oneonta town) challenger Eamonn Hinchey (DEM) bested incumbent Michelle Catan (REP, CON) and Leslie Berliant (DEM, WOR) easily defeated James McCartney (REP) for the Seventh District (Cherry Valley, Middlefield, Roseboom) seat being vacated by David Bliss (CON), who is retiring. In the Thirteenth District (Oneonta City Wards Five and Six), Michele Clapperton handily defeated incumbent Donald Scanlon Jr. (REP).

Edwin Frazier Jr. (REP, First District, Unadilla), Margaret M. Kennedy (REP, Fifth District, Hartwick, Milford, New Lisbon), Andrew Marietta (DEM, IBE, Eighth District, Otsego), Keith O. McCarty (REP, CON, Ninth District, Richfield, Springfield), Daniel G. Wilber (REP, Tenth District, Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Plainfield), Nora Mendez (DEM, Eleventh District, Oneonta City Wards One and Two), Adrienne Martini (DEM, Twelfth District, Oneonta City Wards Three and Four) and Jill Basile (DEM, Fourteenth District) all ran unopposed, as did Treasurer Allen Ruffles.

In the City of Oneonta mayoral race, Daniel Buttermann (DEM, IBE) won out over Luisa Montanti (REP) and Carolyn Marks (DEM, IBF) defeated Mike Forster Rothbart (BON) to fill an unexpired term in the Seventh Ward, despite having announced her withdrawal prior to the election. Marks has since announced she will accept the seat.

In other contested races, Paul Irwin (DEM, IBE) and Teresa Winchester (DEM, IBE) appear to have squeaked by Republicans Donald Hunt and Bruce Beckert for seats on the Butternuts Town Council, and Kate Bolton (IBE) defeated Fred Kersman (DEM) for Decatur town clerk. Teri Musser (DEM) and Jeremy Denmeade (W) will fill the two Exeter town council seats.

The Town of Hartwick’s new town supervisor will be Cody E. Moore (REP, IBE), running under the Hartwick United platform, who defeated Andrea Vazquez (CON). Moore will be joined by Hartwick United running mates JoAnn Gardner (REP, IBE) and Caren G. Kelsey (IBE), who were elected to fill the two town council seats being vacated by Chris Briggs and Bruce Markusen.

Kristen Velasco (DEM) and Jessie Thorsland (DEM) defeated Peter K. Paffenroth (REP), Russell Langford (IBF) and Kevin J. Yerdon (IBG) for spots on the Milford town council.

In New Lisbon, Amy L. Dill (DEM, IBF) and Robert Schenfeld (REP, IBI) will fill the two open seats for New Lisbon town council, beating out Peter J. Martin (IBG) and Gioya Fennelly (IBH), and Nancy Martin-Mathewson (DEM, IBE) defeated George Knarich (REP) to fill an unexpired council term. Glen A. Noto (DEM, IBJ) bested Bruce Page Jr. in New Lisbon for town justice.

Town of Oneonta Interim Supervisor Brett Holleran (REP) was defeated by challenger William Rivera Jr. (DEM) for town supervisor. Rivera is the first Latino person to hold the office. Teresa Desantis (DEM) and Joe Camarata (REP) took the two town council seats over Kim Fierke (IBE).

Terri L. Horan (REP, IBE) beat Gina Pywar (IBF) easily for Otego clerk/collector, Paul L. Rowe (REP) and Liam Keyes (W) garnered the most votes in the Town of Pittsfield for the two open town council seats, and Chad Hazekamp (REP) held on over Eric Fletcher (IBE) for Plainfield superintendent of highways.

In Richfield Springs, Rex Seamon (REP, IBF) and Charles Furner (REP, CON) beat Dennis Strk (IBF) and Jeremy Senko (W) for the two Town of Richfield town council positions. In Springfield, Regina Oakes (REP) and Adam J. Halay (REP) defeated Andrea House (DEM) for two town council seats.

Daniel Koerner, Otsego GOP chair, did not respond to requests for comment on the election results.

Caitlin Ogden, Otsego Democrats chair, told AllOtsego on election night she was “incredibly proud of the candidates who ran across the county. From common sense candidates winning in the Town of Hartwick to a strong showing on the county board. We are disappointed by the close margin of Jason Cianciotto’s race, but that will be going to a hand count and we remain hopeful that we will have a positive outcome. We are teetering on the brink of a weighted majority.”

She said Will Rivera “had the drive and tenacity like no other in this cycle and clearly painted a vision of an Oneonta that works for its citizens and not the vested interests of a particular party. Dan Buttermann’s victory was emotional to see. Dan has been putting himself out there for so long, wanting little more than to represent his community and he finally has the chance.”

Ogden attributed Democrats’ success to “a true and complete team effort” of the county committee, “and I am deeply honored that this group of friends and neighbors are willing to put their trust in me as chair.”

In the 12 races with no candidates—up from seven “no candidates” races in 2024—the results are as follow: Russell McCall (W) was the top vote getter for Burlington town supervisor; Edmeston Town Council write-in candidates Scott Porter (W) and Jeremy Hoag (W) won decidedly; Tiffany Button (W) and Scott Porter (W) appear to be deadlocked for Edmeston Trustee of School Funds, an unexpired term; Adam Sovocool (W) will serve on the Exeter town council, filling an unexpired term there; John A. Gleason (W) easily won election as Maryland town justice over Carla Hungtingon (W), Jennifer Whitcomb (W) and Michael Koller (W); Shane Young (W) was elected Middlefield superintendent of highways by a wide margin; Cody Schmitt (W) will be the Town of Oneonta superintendent of highways; and Marjorie Miller (W) amassed more than 90 percent of the write-in votes for Town of Richfield clerk/collector.

In the Town of Westford, there were three seats with no candidates: clerk/collector, council member (vote for up to two) and superintendent of highways. Jocelyn Harris (W) defeated Joanne Tobey (W) for the position of Westford clerk/collector, Robert Burton (W) and Janette Peeters (W) will fill two Westford town council seats, their closest competition being Chad McEvoy (W), and Jesse Brown (W) earned 78.21 percent of the write-in vote.

There were no candidates for Pittsfield town justice, and no write-ins.

Proposition One, an amendment to allow an already-built Olympic sports complex in Essex County on state forest preserve land, passed in Otsego County with 60.89 percent of voters in favor and just 39.11 percent against.
City of Oneonta Proposition Two, an amendment to adopted staggered four-year terms for mayor and City Council members, passed overwhelmingly. Propositions Three and Four, to update the boundaries of all eight wards to reflect 2020 census data and to establish a nine-member Board of Ethics to provide ethical oversight for city government, respectively, both passed with high margins as well.

Of the 129 total races on Election Day, 94—or 73 percent—were uncontested. There were 11,418 ballots cast in Otsego County.

For full results, visit https://www.otsegocountyny.gov/departments/board_of_elections/index.php and click on “Unofficial Results.”

Staff Writer Eric Santomauro-Stenzel contributed reporting to this article.

This article was updated on 11/17/2025.

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