Unofficial Primary Results Set Stage for Competitive November Races

By JOSHUA YOUNGQUIST
OTSEGO COUNTY

Unofficial results from the June 23 primary elections show several decisive victories across state and local races, with turnout surpassing last year’s participation and early voting contributing significantly to overall engagement. Final tallies will be certified in the coming days by the Otsego County Board of Elections.

In one of the most closely watched contests, Republican challenger Mike Stalter defeated incumbent Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr., earning 53.16% of the vote to Devlin’s 46.84%. The race followed a contentious campaign season and came on the heels of the recent arrest of two Sheriff’s Office employees.

Stalter said of the results, “Our team and I are super excited. We did a lot of work, and we made contact with a lot of people. We took our message out to the county and the county responded, and we look forward to continuing to take our message to the people of Otsego County until the general election in November.”

Although defeated in the Republican primary, Devlin will still appear on the November ballot after securing the Conservative Party nomination earlier this year, setting up a rematch between the two candidates in the general election. He did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

The Democratic primary for the 102nd Assembly District produced a clear winner, with Janet Tweed receiving 56.61% of the vote. She prevailed over Thomas Boomhower with 25.57%, and Mary Finneran with 17.82%. In a statement following her victory, Tweed said she was “honored that Democratic primary voters have chosen me to represent them on the ballot this fall.” She emphasized her refusal to accept corporate PAC donations and highlighted her background as a physical therapist and municipal board member. Tweed outlined several legislative priorities, including allowing consumers to opt out of AI in their technology use, supporting a moratorium on new data centers in New York, expanding school‑based healthcare, and restructuring how rural infrastructure funding is distributed.

Tweed also thanked her primary opponents, saying, “Democracy works best when people debate and collaborate in good faith, with the shared purpose of improving quality of life for all residents.”

Boomhower issued his own statement acknowledging the results and expressing gratitude to supporters.

“While last night’s results were not what our campaign hoped for, I am incredibly grateful for the support, encouragement and trust that so many people placed in our effort,” he said. He congratulated Tweed and pledged to help Democrats “Flip 102 Blue in November.”

Boomhower also noted the increased participation in this year’s primary, saying, “Almost 2,000 more people voted in this primary than 2024. That’s the engagement we need to strengthen our communities.”

In statewide Democratic contests, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli won decisively with 72.62%, defeating challengers Drew Warshaw with 16.00% and Raj Goyle with 11.38%.

On the Republican side, Senator Peter Oberacker secured a commanding victory in the race for the 19th Congressional District, earning 79.20% of the vote over Alexander Portelli with 20.80%.

Portelli had this to say: “I am incredibly proud of the results. My opponent was a sitting state senator with district wide name recognition, a presidential endorsement, and 11 out of 11 CD-19 Republican county committees endorsing him. With little name recognition and no major backing, just a powerful message, I managed to gain 22 percent of Republican Primary voters’ confidence anyway.

“Proof that my campaign’s message resonates with Republicans is that three of my top four counties, Rensselaer, Broome and Columbia, were also the counties I personally knocked on the most doors in. I congratulate Senator Oberacker on his victory, ask my supporters not to write me in, but to know what I will continue advocating for my campaign’s message and don’t rule out another run for public office in the future,” Portelli said.

Oberacker did not reply to a request for comment by press time.

In the 51st Assembly District, Christopher Tague holds a narrow lead with 50.36% over Terry Bernardo with 49.64% in unofficial results. Meanwhile, in the 118th Assembly District, Heather Scribner won with 62.33%, defeating Charles Potter with 16.44% and Chanda King with 21.23%.

Local races also saw competitive turnout. In Plainfield, Chad Hazekamp earned 52.17%, defeating Eric Fletcher with 47.83% for superintendent of highways. In Richfield, Michael Marmet earned 58.86%, prevailing over Matt Proctor with 41.14% for town justice.

Early voting contributed significantly to overall participation, with thousands of residents casting ballots during the nine‑day early‑voting period. When combined with Election Day turnout, county participation exceeded last year’s totals, though final percentages will be confirmed once absentee and affidavit ballots are counted.

According to the Board of Elections, 4,673 of 24,973 registered voters participated in this year’s primary, for 18.71% turnout. In 2024, 741 voters participated, reflecting a ballot with very few contested races.

As the county awaits official certification, candidates across both parties now turn their attention to the November general election, where several races, including the sheriff’s contest and the 102nd Assembly District, are expected to draw substantial interest from voters.