Absentee ballots have carried Republican Urban C. Hirschey to an apparent victory over Democratic incumbent Thomas Rienbeck in the Cape Vincent town supervisor's race.
Mr. Hirschey erased a 42 vote deficit at the polls by picking up 62 more votes than Mr. Rienbeck in absentees, 144-82. Mr. Hirschey's final tally was 634 votes, with Mr. Rienbeck receiving 614 votes.
Mr. Hirschey said even before the official count, he felt that he could win by just looking at the names on the absentee ballots. He said that several of the absentee ballots represent seasonal residents - from Syracuse, Rochester and Utica - who changed their registration to Cape Vincent to have a voice in the election.
“It sucks, doesn't it?” Mr. Rienbeck said. “These people, they have registered to vote here but they don't even live here. They obviously took advantage of the gray area of the law.”
Mr. Rienbeck who has been in office for 10 years, said most of the people who changed their registration to vote for Mr. Hirschey were rich seasonal residents who oppose wind farms.
“All they care about is their cottages on the river,” he said. “They are nothing but selfish people. It's a sad day for the people of Cape Vincent.”
Mr. Hirschey said one of his main priorities as the town's new supervisor is adopting a wind law that would spread out the wind turbines.
He said it was “disgraceful” that Mr. Rienbeck is attempting to adopt a zoning amendment for wind energy development, which does not contain restrictions on sound, at the very end of his term.
“If he tries to pass this, it's going to cost the town a lot of money in legal expenses,” he said. “If they had any sense, they would cancel it.”
Mr. Rienbeck said the sound restrictions would essentially prohibit industrial wind development in the town.
“People wanted this zoning law,” he said.
In Legislative District 11, Republican Robert "Bobby" Ferris extended his 21-vote Election Day lead in absentee balloting and won, 947-912, over Democrat Paul Simmons. District 11 encompasses Rutland and Watertown.
Meanwhile, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman was on Glenn Beck's radio program Monday and said he wished he had not conceded the 23rd Congressional District race.
Mr. Hoffman was 3,176 votes behind Mr. Owens before absentees were counted and 2,957 after absentees in three counties he won were counted.
There were a total of 7,419 absentee ballots returned in the disrict.
The Times will be reporting today on the absentee count for this race and other local races.
Absentees did not change the results in other Cape Vincent races.
Debra J. Suller, the independent challenger for the town clerk post, picked up 19 more absentee votes than Town Clerk Jeri A. Mason. But Ms. Mason still won, 662-588.
Republican Brooks Bragdon and Democrat Mickey W. Orvis preserved their Election Day leads for two Town Council spots, picking up 120 absentee votes and 68 absentee votes respectively. Mr. Bragdon finished with 630, Mr. Orvis with 573. Democrat Richard H. Macsherry received 540 total votes, while independent John L. Byrne III received 480 votes. Republican Raymond R. Benjamin received 177 total votes.
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