KINGSTON – The gloves are off in Kingston. Ulster County Republicans vow to fight fire with fire, and organize their own pro-Faso rallies, to protest the protesters.
“It’s easy for us to sit back, and try to relish in the victories that we’ve had,” Chairman Roger Rascoe told fellow party members gathered Wednesday night in Kingston for the 2017 nominating convention, “I find today to be a great day, to be a Republican in Ulster County.”
Rascoe compared the Donald Trump presidency to Ronald Reagan’s successful “Morning in America” campaign theme that swept him into office in 1984.
Rascoe (podium) defends Faso, and Trump
The Ulster County GOP currently holds a razor-thin majority on the county legislature – and aims to win more seats next fall, plus control of several key town committees, Rascoe said. Esopus, Rochester, Saugerties and Wawarsing are on the Republican attack radar.
Additionally, Republicans organized a special committee to stage counter-protest actions against the left-wing rallies. Demonstrators have been plaguing Congressman John Faso’s Kingston office all year. The newly elected Faso has been regularly targeted by opponents, despite beating his rival Zephyr Teachout by over 25,000 votes last year.
Rascoe selected three town chairmen to head the Faso fight-back team: Mike Dovich from Marlborough, Dan Aversano from Rochester, and Tom Maerling from Wawarsing. They are charged with organizing members to establish that Republicans won the election, and support their congressman and president.
“John Faso has 166,171 reasons to vote the way he does. He is voting the way we asked him to vote but the left continues to make noise, and the media is right with them. The liberal left can’t stand the fact that we won, and that he [Faso] won, and that President Trump won,” Rascoe said.
County Clerk Nina Postupack, incumbent since 2006, leads the Republican ticket this year. For Ulster County Comptroller, incumbent Democrat Elliott Auerbach remains unchallenged, after the Republican candidate dropped out for health reasons.
A full slate of candidates will be running for Kingston Common Council. However Ward 2 (Douglas Koop) and Ward 4 (Nina Dawson), both held by incumbent Democrats, remain unopposed. Anthony Davis in Ward 6, an incumbent Democrat, is cross-endorsed. Ward 7, now held by Democrat Mary Ann Mills, also has no Republican opposition.
Kingston council seats in play are: newcomer Michael Russell, who will challenge Democrat Lynn Eckert for the 1st Ward; Ellen DiFalco, a Democrat, who has been cross-endorsed on the Republican line to challenge Rennie Scott-Childress; Terrell Mickens for 5th Ward against Democrat Majority Leader William Carey; James Ryan for 8th ward against Democrat Steve Schabot; and incumbent republican Deborah Brown for 9th Ward.
For the Ulster County legislature: District 1, Mary Wawro (C), incumbent; District 2, newcomer Joseph Malone (non-enrolled, pending Republican), running against incumbent Chris Allen; District 3, Dean Fabiano (R), incumbent; District 4, James Maloney (R), incumbent; District 5 & 6, unopposed; District 7, challenger Brian Woltman (R), running against incumbent Jennifer Schwartz-Berky; District 8, Ira Weiner (R), replacing incumbent Carl Belfiglio, who is now running for Esopus town supervisor; District 9, Herbert Litts III (R), incumbent; District 10, Mary Beth Maio (R) , incumbent; District 11, Richard Gerentine (R), incumbent; District 12, Kevin Roberts (R), incumbent; District 13, Ken Ronk Jr. (R), incumbent chairman of Legislature; District 14, Craig Lopez (R), incumbent; District 15, newcomer Patsy Spoor (R), challenging Democrat incumbent Thomas J. Briggs; District 16, challenger Kathy Miller (R), against incumbent Democrat Tracy Bartels; District 18, incumbent Richard Parete (D), cross-endorsed; District 18 & 19 are unopposed, held by incumbent Democrats Manna Jo Greene & Hector Rodriguez, respectively; and finally, District 21, Ronald Lapp Jr. (R), incumbent.
The Ulster County Democratic Party nominating convention takes place tonight at the Best Western in Kingston.
