KINGSTON – Phil Erner, who defeated Ulster County Legislative Chairman Dave Donaldson in a Democratic primary earlier this year, won a seat in the county’s governing body Tuesday.
Erner stopped his Republican opponent in Kingston’s District 6 and Donaldson, who mounted a failed independent campaign.
“This can’t be about me, it’s about the people in District 6,” said Erner, who was elected to his first ever public office.
“It wasn’t really about Dave from the beginning, it was raising up organizing efforts that I have been a part of here in Kingston and in Ulster County including around issues of transit and housing, and people not being able to afford their utilities and food, I work as a farmer,” he said.
And now that he’s been elected, Erner said he will fight for more affordable housing and racial justice.
“Housing is clearly number one in everybody’s mind. Everything is going up,up,up. Wages are down,” he said. “Evictions are happening at the hands of unscrupulous landlords. I see folks with the most resources feeling like they can take advantage in the situation we are right now.”
For a complete list of Ulster County election results, click here.
