This year’s primaries include a four-way race for mayor in the City of Albany, and a primary challenger for Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson. Johnson, a Democrat who was first elected to lead the Columbia County city in 2019, faces newcomer Joe Ferris. Ferris has questioned the city’s financial practices and accused Johnson of not communicating well enough with residents.
“Those two issues, when they combine, build a deep lack of trust among our neighbors, our constituents," says Ferris. "And I realize that there should be a debate among candidates, especially in the Democratic primary, about what the future of Hudson is. What is our vision?"
“My first two terms, I didn't raise taxes a single cent, and that includes during a global pandemic, where every city raised taxes," says Johnson. "I've only raised taxes 1.5 percent during my time, and that's combined, in three terms. So I would say I've done a great job in protecting our budget.”
Whoever wins will face Independent Peter Spear and Republican Lloyd Koedding in November. The city is also hosting Democratic primaries for Common Council, council president, and county legislature.
In Woodstock, which is controlled by Democrats, three candidates are vying to replace incumbent Town Supervisor Bill McKenna, who is not seeking a fifth term in November. Environmentalist Erin Moran has McKenna’s endorsement but faces a strong challenge from Councilmember Anula Courtis and journalist David Wallis.
Top issues in the race include protecting the town’s water supply and addressing an illegal dump in the hamlet of Shady. Moran and Wallis want to enforce the town’s stricter environmental laws to hold homeowners accountable. Courtis says moving forward will require group discussions with community and state leaders.
"My style is going to be to engage the community," she adds.
Moran says she also wants to encourage a healthier work environment in the town.
“Unfortunately, social media has really played a big role in, I think, the disintegration of our community," she notes. "It's really turned into this toxic environment, and it has, I think, spilled over into these Town Board meetings. If I was elected, I would really have a team. [The Town Board] needs to be a five-person team.”
Three Democrats (Lily Korolkoff, Laurie Osmond, and Marcel Nagele) are also vying for two spots on the Town Board.
Elsewhere in Ulster County, in the Town of New Paltz, Village Mayor Tim Rogers is running for town supervisor, challenging incumbent Democrat Amanda Gotto. Rogers, who has led the Village of New Paltz since 2015, wants to merge the village and town — an idea the two have considered in the past, as they already share some services.
“We originally have a village because in the 1860s many communities in our area thought it made sense to incorporate the dense parts of the town," he explains. "The original thesis no longer exists. Now, I believe we’ve inherited this structure and we’re propping up a bureaucratic layer of government which doesn’t actually add any value.”
The idea could go to vote as early as this year. Gotto has been town supervisor since 2024.
In Orange County, Conservative Party voters will select their nomination for Monroe town supervisor. Incumbent Anthony Cardone III is running against Tim Mitts, who is fresh off an unsuccessful bid for State Senate in the 42nd District last year. Democrats will choose between David Rabbitts, the chief of staff for Assemblyman Chris Eachus, and Councilwoman Maureen Richardson.
Democratic Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano is running for a fifth consecutive term in what has become a bitter primary against County Legislator Joel Sierra. Both candidates have accused the other of lying, corruption, and not being a “true” Democrat. Sierra’s campaign says he would impose term limits on the mayor’s office, while DeStefano says he is focused on continuing his work on infrastructure and crime.
“People can judge by what they see. They’re seeing new sidewalks, new parks, new parking lots, new roads, stable taxes," says DeStefano. "And at the same time, we’ve been able to reduce crime by 50 percent.”
Sierra did not return a request for interview.
There’s also a heated Republican Primary for county sheriff in Sullivan County. Longtime Sheriff Michael Schiff faces a barbed opponent in the form of Tim Dymond, a retired senior investigator with the New York State Police. Dymond’s campaign has echoed allegations that the FBI is currently investigating the Sheriff’s Office for corruption and misconduct.
"There's no police work getting done," says Dymond. "Everything is scandalous, everything is smoke and mirrors. We need to get back to the brick-and-mortar art of policing, where we go in every day and try to figure out how to make the county more safe."
Schiff did not return a request for comment from WAMC, but he has denied that such an investigation is underway.
Other races include:
- Multiple primaries for council president in Yonkers, including a five-way Democratic primary.
- Multiple primaries for mayor of Spring Valley, including a five-way Democratic primary.
- The first "open" Democratic primary for mayor of White Plains in a while. Longtime Mayor Tom Roach is running for Westchester County Clerk instead of seeking another term. Democrats will choose between City Councilmembers Justin Brasch and Nadine Hunt-Robinson.
Early voting runs through June 22, with polling hours varying by county. Go to your county board of elections website to look up your poll location. Primary Day is June 24.
A note for listeners in Greene County: there are no primaries in Greene County this year.
