North Salem: Who is Running For What?

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Several town offices fall vacant this year. They are supervisor, town clerk, two council seats and two judicial seats. The supervisor is elected for a two-year term. All others serve four-year terms.

Republican incumbent Warren Lucas will run unopposed for supervisor. Chairman of the Democratic Party Committee, Herb Geller, commented, “In the past there’s been a lot of conflict on the board, but under Warren Lucas there hasn’t.” 

Town Clerk Veronica Howley, a Republican, will also run unopposed. Incumbent Amy Rosmarin will run for town council on the Democratic ticket. According to Geller, “there was another person we also wanted, but they didn’t want to run.” Councilwoman Liz Reeve, a Democrat, will not run for re-election due to other commitments. 

Since there are three Republicans interested in running for town council, the party will hold a primary on September 13. The candidates are Bruce Buchholtz, Bill Monti and John White. White has already been endorsed by the Independence Party. Monti replaces Gerard Ianance, who was originally endorsed by the party but has since withdrawn. Buchholtz was also endorsed by the party in May.

“We’re striving to get another Democrat on the board. I don’t care as much about the other positions, like town clerk or receiver of taxes," Geller said. "Veronica Howley has done a good job as town clerk. So has [Receiver of Taxes] Roach. And so has Ward Hanaburgh at the highway department. They don’t change policy. But the town board makes legislation. So we need to have the Democrats represented.”

Geller, who has been active in the local Democratic Party since 1971, added, “In 40 years, there was only one time when there was no Democrat. Democrats have been in the majority a number of times and we’ve also had four Democratic supervisors, including the late Jeanette McNamara.”

For the first time in many years, the long-serving incumbent justices, John Johnston and Ralph Mackin, both Republicans, will be opposed by Democrat Solomon Schepps.

Note: Warren Lucas, Veronica Howley, Amy Rosmarin, Ralph Mackin and John Johnston are also running on the Independence line.

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