GOP Tops Fulton Elections

by Nicole Reome | November 7, 2007 8:05 am

FULTON, NY – The Fulton Polish Home was alive with excitement Tuesday evening as local Republicans tallied totals that showed victories on most lines in the 2007 General Election in the city of Fulton. (See photo gallery below.)

In the end, the GOP candidates secured control of the Fulton Common Council, losing only one seat to the Democratic party.

At the helm of the excitement, Ronald Woodward Sr., received rounds of applause as he sprinted to the top of the four-way mayoral race. Woodward is the current mayor’s executive assistant, as well as former mayor himself and longtime Sixth Ward alderman.

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Ron Woodward watches as results come in with his wife, Gayle. At right is Carm Cavallaro.

As the results came in from the three wards on the city’s east side, Woodward held a commanding lead over candidates Mark Sherman, Mark Aldasch and Phil Blair.

“I’m feeling good,” Woodward said after half the wards were counted. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

When the unofficial totals were final, the results showed that Woodward received more votes than his three fellow candidates combined. Woodward’s unofficial total came in at 1,534 votes. Sherman won 508; Blair, 292; and Aldasch, 191.

Woodward’s wife, Gayle, said she was glad to see the results and proud of her husband.

“He loves Fulton and he loves the people,” Gayle Woodward said. “I am really proud of him.”

Mary Rain, current city attorney and Woodward’s campaign manager, said that she was overwhelmed by the numbers of people who turned out to support Woodward in the election.

“You never know, especially because of the bad weather, how many people will go out to vote,” Rain said. “But it is clear that a lot of the people who voted for Mark Sherman in the Primary changed their minds for the General Election.”

Woodward said that he was pleased and thankful for the support.

“I was a little worried,” Woodward admitted. “I have always said I have one good thing for me and one thing that goes against me. … I have been around a long time. I understand it but that is what it is.

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Woodward watches totals come in with campaign manager,Mary Rain.

“I am happy,” Woodward added. “I am looking forward to the battles ahead and working with the good people that are working for this city.”

Woodward noted that he appreciated the debate with his fellow candidates during the campaign season.

“Debate is good as long as it is positive,” Woodward said. “If everyone thought alike, they would only need one of us.”

On the Fulton Common Council, four incumbents and two new faces took positions in Tuesday’s race. Third Ward Alderman Robert Weston resumes the position as the council’s only Democrat in January.

In the First Ward, incumbent Thomas Kenyon (R,C) received 297 votes Tuesday, topping Lisa Calkins’ (D,OI) 184 votes.

In the Second Ward, David Guyer (R,OI) won 232 votes over incumbent Daniel Knopp Jr.’s (D,C) 123 votes. David Ritchie (OI) received 5 votes in the race.

In the Third Ward, Weston (D,C) took 417 votes to the 191 votes won by challenger Wayne Hanson (R,OI).

Running unopposed in the Fourth Ward, incumbent Kenneth Myers (R,C) received 253 votes.

With no incumbent candidate in the Fifth Ward, Norman J. Foster (R,OI) received 220 votes while David Miner Sr. (D,OI) received 138 votes.

In the Sixth Ward, incumbent Russell Hayden (R) received 243 votes, topping the 77 votes received by challenger Martin Allen (D,OI).

At the Polish Home, Guyer said he was happy to earn the win for the Second Ward position.

“It is a very humbling experience that people have the confidence in me to elect me as alderman,” Guyer said. “I will do my best to uphold the trust they have in me and I look forward to working with everybody.”

Hayden said he was pleased, not only for his own victory, but also for Woodward’s.

“Now we can keep going in a good direction instead of fighting and feuding,” Hayden said. “We have a lot of good things going on and we’re not done yet.”

Myers said that he believed the alderman races, overall, were positive and clean. He added that he foresees positive things for the next few years.

“Even though Republicans have six seats (at city hall), I am sure that we will all work well together,” Myers said. “We will do a fine job.”
David Fontecchio, chairman of the Fulton GOP committee, said that he was “jubilant” with Tuesday’s results.

“A lot of people did a lot of hard work,” Fontecchio said. “The candidates did a remarkable job. … We were able to produce candidates that people would vote for. The results were evident of that.

“Intelligent people make intelligent choices,” he added.

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