Courtis came out ahead of journalist David Wallis and environmentalist Erin Moran Tuesday with roughly 61 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Ulster County Board of Elections. Wallis and Moran garnered 27 and 12 percent of the vote, respectively.
Surrounded by supporters at a friend’s home in Shady Tuesday night, Courtis promised to lead with a community approach.
“This is a new day forward. We are not going to do what was done in the past, and we’re going to focus on the things that matter: clean water, our environment, smart housing and actual kindness to each other," she said. "We’re going to stay focused, stay steady, and we’re going to show people what leadership grounded in community really looks like.”
Incumbent Town Supervisor Bill McKenna is not seeking a fifth two-year term. He endorsed Moran in the race, but last night’s win gives Courtis a heavy advantage in November. There are no Republicans running in Woodstock, and barring a last-minute write-in campaign, Courtis is set to become the town’s first openly LGBTQ+ supervisor.
Speaking with WAMC Wednesday, Moran says she "learned a lot" from her run. She says she congratulated Courtis on her win and has no intention of continuing in November.
“I’m excited to see fresh faces in there," says Moran. "The only reason I got involved in the first place was because I was not happy with the current government and what they were doing. So, if this new government does some changes, then there wouldn’t be a need for me to run, because I would be happy with my government.”
The race got pretty heated, at least on social media. There’s a lot going on in Woodstock that the community has argued over, from the discovery of toxic “forever chemicals” in two town wells, to the continued existence of an illegal dump in Shady, to lawsuits involving the Woodstock Police Department, and a tense debate over how to rework the town’s noise ordinance.
All three candidates ran on the message that they want to usher in a more positive work environment for local government.
Wallis says he’s gotten to know the community better by running.
“I am so pleased with so many brilliant people that I’ve gotten to meet and who are generous of spirit, with their time and their energy," says Wallis. "And I think that’s the thing that’s sort of been a little bit missing in Woodstock: a lot of good people who are maybe a little bit quieter have disengaged. And I feel like they’re engaging right now.”
Wallis nearly didn’t make the ballot after McKenna challenged his petitions with the BOE earlier this year, calling them “a mess.” The BOE ultimately upheld Wallis’ candidacy by a handful of signatures.
Resident Laurie Felber, who campaigned for Wallis, says she hopes to see him run again in the future.
“He’s a newbie, and you don’t always win your first time around. There’s a second time around, and it’s in two years. So, it’s not so bad," she adds. "He’s learning the lesson on how to deal with the town and how to run for office, and that’s the most important thing.”
Also Tuesday, three Democrats vied for two openings on the Town Board. In a close race, Laurie Osmond and Lily Korolkoff squeaked by Marcel Nagele to snag the Democratic nomination for the two seats. If they and Courtis win in November, it’s possible Woodstock could have an all-women government for the first time in its history.
Back at Courtis’ watch party in Shady, there was a lot of love from colleagues, family and friends. George Cross says if there’s anyone who can bring a divided Woodstock together, it’s Courtis.
"She's willing to weigh many different opinions," he explains. "She has an agenda in a certain sense, but not in a sense that she is gonna force through something she wants and not listen to people."
Courtis says her first move as supervisor would be to resume the work of some commissions that have fallen by the wayside. As for the Shady dump, she says the issue needs a reset: despite years of lawsuits and court orders deeming the dump illegal, it has yet to be cleaned up. Courtis wants to pull together state officials, community members, and attorneys to consider the town’s legal options going forward — and she also wants to open up a dialogue with the property owner in hopes of solving the issue outside of court.
“Hopefully we can work together to clean that up," she notes. "However, at the same time I will pursue every legal avenue that we have to look at the agreements that have been made and to figure out how we can clean that up, so that we can put this behind us and learn a lesson from this, and never have this happen again on our land.”
Courtis would also have to tap her replacement to fill the remainder of her term on the town board. While she hasn’t named names, Courtis has promised to select someone with an environmental background for the role.
“I’m just beyond words excited about taking us forward in a whole new direction, with open communication, with transparency," she adds. "And man, I am ready to hit the ground running. I’m so excited.”
Some of the other Hudson Valley primaries on our radar:
- Longtime Village of New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers defeated incumbent Supervisor Amanda Gotto in the Democratic Primary for New Paltz town supervisor, 54 percent to 46 percent. Rogers wants to merge the village and town governments, an idea the two communities have considered in the past. The merge has yet to go to a vote.
- Democratic Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano turned back a bitter challenge from Orange County Legislator Joel Sierra, with 77 percent of the vote.
- Republican Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff earned 59 percent of the vote and turned back an equally bitter primary challenge from Tim Dymond, a retired investigator with the New York State Police. Dymond's campaign echoed allegations that the Sheriff’s Office is being investigated by the FBI, something Schiff has denied. There are no Democrats in the race, and Schiff is expected to win in November, continuing in a seat he has held for 20 years.
