By Dan Hust
SULLIVAN COUNTY — Voters stuck with incumbents across the five Sullivan County villages holding elections this past Tuesday.
Then again, all but Liberty’s and Monticello’s were uncontested.
Following are the unofficial results, with definitive winners marked in bold. Absentee ballots will begin being counted on March 28 by the Sullivan County Board of Elections.
Bloomingburg
Mayor Mark Berentsen was voted back into office by 17 Bloomingburg residents, while 20 returned Charles Griswold to his trustee seat. Both will serve two years.
Jeffersonville
Trustees William Thony and Kevin Walter faced no opposition and were given two more years by 13 and 12 Jeffersonville voters, respectively.
Liberty
Liberty trustees Luis Alvarez and Joan Stoddard – with 144 and 132 votes, respectively – are currently in the lead for their two-year seats, but with at least 22 absentee ballots left to count (and more possibly coming), challenger Matthew DeFrank has a chance to gain one of those seats, as he already holds 125 votes.
Monticello
Monticello Mayor Gordon Jenkins easily retained his seat for another four years, garnering 401 votes compared to David Rosenberg’s 233 and Victor Marinello’s 222.
But he can’t yet be firmly proclaimed the victor, as at least 244 absentee ballots remain to be counted (and possibly more still in the mail).
That also applies to the race for two four-year trustee seats.
Incumbent Carmen Rue has got the lead currently, with 400 votes. Trailing her the closest is Larissa Bennett, with 374 votes. Shannon Jackson Daniel isn’t far behind, with 364 votes, followed by Charlie Sabatino with 337.
One trustee candidate, Morton Turick, has too far to climb, however, with just 55 votes thus far.
Wurtsboro
With 24 votes in hand, Trustee Barbara Semonite will serve another two years.