By Matt Youngfrau
SULLIVAN COUNTY — September 20, 2002 – The Sullivan County Board of Elections held hearings Wednesday morning to count affidavit and absentee ballots. The only ballots they were not allowed to count were the Independence ballots, as Governor George Pataki was challenging those in court. After getting word from the state, those votes (only four in Sullivan County) were counted yesterday.
Statewide totals are still pending. However, billionaire B. Thomas Golisano leads Pataki on the Independence line. Last week, it appeared Golisano had a 900-vote lead. According to figures released Wednesday, that lead is down to 635 votes. There is no word on when that will be cleared up.
Here are the current local results, certified yesterday by the Sullivan County Board of Elections:
For the Democrats, H. Carl McCall received 989 votes for Governor while Andrew Cuomo (who dropped out of the race before the primary) received 175 votes. For Lieutenant Governor, Dennis Mehiel received 649 votes as opposed to Charles King’s (who also dropped out of the race) 214 votes. For Comptroller, Alan Hevesi got 717 votes over William Mulrow's 289 votes.
On the Independence Line, Golisano received 30 votes, as did Pataki. For Lieutenant Governor, Mary Donohue (31 votes) bested William Neild (10 votes). Absentees and affidavits had yet to be counted at press time.
On the Conservative line, Pataki received 90 votes. There was also an opportunity to ballot, so Golisano got 6 write-in votes and McCall got 1.
On the Right to Life line, there was a race for Comptroller. Garifalia Christea (9 votes) bested John Berry (5 votes).
The Working Families line had two races. For Lieutenant Governor, Dennis Mehiel (1 vote) won the race. The other candidates, Elon Harpaz and Charles King, received no votes. In the Comptroller race, neither Alan Hevesi nor William Mulrow got any votes.
In Mamakating, there was an opportunity to ballot for Sullivan County District 4 Legislator on the Green Party line. Thomas Golisano received one write-in vote, former Supervisor and Republican candidate Don Trotta received three write-in votes, Robert Walters received two votes, and current District 4 Legislator and Democrat Jonathan Rouis received one vote.
The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5. This year's election will see local races for United States Congressman, New York State Senator, New York State Assemblyman, New York State Governor, New York State Lieutenant Governor, New York State Comptroller, New York State Attorney General, Sullivan County Family Court Judge, and Sullivan County Legislator, Districts 3 and 4.