McKnight: PrimaryWin 'Gratifying'- Opponent Says He'llContinue Campaign
(by Maya Schubert/Kingston Wire)
This past Tuesday’s Democratic primary saw a win for incumbent Hurley Town Supervisor Melinda McKnight against town board member Mike Boms for the party’s nomination for town supervisor in this fall’s election. More lies ahead for both Democrats, however, as Boms intends to remain on the November ballot on the Keep Hurley Hurley ticket.
The Ulster County Board of Elections’ unofficial results currently see McKnight with 353 votes to Boms’ 234, a 60.14 percent to 39.86 percent margin. The results have not yet been certified, but Boms admits the margin is too wide to be overcome by absentee ballots.
“I kind of knew I wasn't going to win, in a sense,” he said, noting that McKnight was endorsed by the town’s Democratic Committee. “I thought I'd do a lot better than in the primary, but I'm not disappointed at all. I did as best I could.”
In the coming months, Boms said he hopes to develop trust with Hurley Democrats and reach out to more Republicans and Independents, who he says have been receptive to his campaign.
According to Boms, rifts between departments and a caginess towards dissenters have made him unhappy with Hurley’s current administration. On the other hand, McKnight has stated that facts and interactions have been twisted by opposing forces. For McKnight, Tuesday’s victory was encouraging as, she said, she has been the victim of divisiveness since taking office.
“It was gratifying that the majority of Democratic Primary voters saw through all the lies and character assassination,” she said.
McKnight says her focus before the November election lies more with doing her job efficiently than campaigning.
“My next steps going forward are to continue to focus on solving the steady stream of issues that come across my desk and to ensure that I serve my neighbors and community well,” she said. “I see myself as a public servant who makes sure that local government functions efficiently and is responsive to serve my neighbors — the people we are here to represent.”
Hurley Republicans are expected to caucus in July to pick their slate.