Poughkeepsie candidates prepare for elections

Hayley Tsukayama Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Poughkeepsie residents will vote for several positions in the town council, including Town Supervisor and six Town Board seats, according to The Poughkeepsie Journal.
Vassar College and the Arlington community are part of the sixth ward. Among the candidates for councilman of the sixth ward is Vassar physics professor James Challey. Challey—who is endorsed by the Democratic and People First parties—previously served as Alderman and Vice-Mayor for the City of Poughkeepsie. Now a resident of the Town of Poughkeepsie, Challey again wants to be involved in local politics.

“The sixth ward includes all of Vassar Farm and the Arlington Business District,” said Challey. As councilman, he wants to foster a “real partnership between the College, the town and the business district to create an area we can truly enjoy.”

Challey is also an advocate of renovating and redesigning Raymond Avenue.

His opponent, Republican Todd Tancredi, is the current councilman for the sixth ward and is known specifically for his support of the area’s senior citizens, according to a letter to the editor in the Oct. 19 issue of The Poughkeepsie Journal.

Elections are also being held for the position of County Legislator. Current legislator James T. Hammond-R is not running for re-election. Two candidates, Salvatore L. Ardisi and Fred Brunnell, are vying for Hammond’s position.

Ardisi, a former police officer, is running under Republican and Conservative party endorsements. Regarding the much contended issue of over-crowded jails, in a response to the League of Women Voters in the Hudson area, Ardisi said, “I would examine the need for the extra jail space. Then, if absolutely needed, I would try to rally the Legislature to lobby the State and Federal Government for any grants available to pay for extension.”

The Democratic and People First candidate is Fred Bunnell, a former Vassar Political Science professor Bunnell, who taught at Vassar for 32 years, according to his campaign literature, is seeking the County Legislator spot. “I’ll fight for fair and honest budgets and taxes, smart growth, and a reasonable, cost-effective solution to jail overcrowding,” says Bunnell in the campaign literature.

Elections will also be held to the positions of Town Supervisor, Town Clerk, Superintendent of Highways, and Collector of Taxes.

Vassar College organizations are getting involved with this election as well. Democracy Matters held a forum with District 11 (Rhinebeck/Clinton) County Legislator Joel Tyner-D to discuss the importance of “clean, open, and accessible county government.”

College Democrats have officially endorsed both Challey and Bunnell as candidates for their respective positions, though they support all of the Democratic candidates running for office.

According to College Democrats president Kelly Peterman ’07, both Bunnell and Challey have been actively involved with the College Democrats over the years.

In terms of Republican candidates, Moderate, Independent and Conservative Alliance (MICA) President Matt Ambrose said, “In general, MICA doesn’t endorse specific candidates or policy positions,” but rather advocates more generally for center-right politics.

The most important thing, according to Challey, is that the citizens of Poughkeepsie and those at Vassar College vote. “Please vote,” said Challey. “Local elections often have terrible turnouts.” Challey went on to say that while students cannot register at the polls, those students who were registered in Poughkeepsie for last year’s presidential election will likely be able to vote in this election.