By Matt Youngfrau
SULLIVAN COUNTY — September 28, 2001 – In a major surprise on Tuesday’s two-weeks-delayed primary election, challenger Sam Wohl knocked District 9 County Legislator incumbent Sean Rieber out of the Democratic seat to run in November’s general election.
Considered by several politicians to be the shoo-in for the position to which he was appointed by the Legislature earlier this year, Rieber lost by 52 votes to Wohl, who garnered 239 votes to Rieber's 182. (All results are still unofficial.)
Rieber will continue in his position, however, until the end of the year.
There was also a primary for the Republican seat in the District 9 race. James Carnell beat Patricia Croissant for the spot on the ticket. The tally was 311 votes for Carnell and 80 for Croissant.
Wohl and Carnell will still have more competition for the District 9 seat in November. Croissant is running on the No Ties Party Line, and the Green Party will be represented by Jesse York. (Carnell himself is also running on the Conservative Party line.)
In Lumberland’s primary race to be the Republican candidate for Town Clerk, Virginia Horn edged out Linda Shafer 98-83. Horn will now face the incumbent Town Clerk, Democrat Christina Bodnaruik, in November.
In Mamakating, two Republican seats for Town Council were up for grabs. Judith Young (231) and Nicholas Salomone (222) got the nod over Morris Smith (119).
It is a crowded group vying for those two Council seats, however. Jerry Salamone and Robert Fiore already have the Democratic nod. The Conservative candidates will be Dinesh Shah and Morris Smith. Smith is also on the People's Party. The Citizens Party will feature Denise Shah. Nicholas Salomone will be on the Right To Life and Mamakating First lines, and Judith Young will also be on the Mamakating First line. And Jerry Salamone will be on the Mamakating Choice line.
Also in Mamakating, the seat for Conservative candidate for Town Justice was at stake between Marcelle Matthews and Mark Schulman. Matthews got the nod with 71 votes to 15. However, they will still face off with each other in November. Matthews, besides the Conservative nod, has the endorsement of the Democrats and Mamakating Choice. Schulman will run on the Truth in Justice line.
Seats for the Republican and Democratic Party County Committees were also up for grabs. Three people ran for the two seats for the Republican Committee in District 1. Judith Young (36) and Richard Stoloff (32) were approved over Fred Ferris (19). In District 3 for the Republicans, Joseph Herschel (39) and Janet Evans (28) got the nod over Morris Smith (20).
Four candidates vied for two seats on the Democratic Committee in District 5. Eugene Young received 39 votes. Both Gail Sprague and Marcia Hamill received 34 votes. Patrick Hamill received 24 votes. If the results are confirmed and stay the same, the tie will be decided within the Democratic Party.
The results will be made official on Monday. Public hearings will be held that day to confirm the results, said officials at the county’s Board of Elections.