By Zach Simeone

HILLTOWNS — In the only Hilltown primary Tuesday, Bonnie Donati secured the Conservative line for this fall’s race for Knox Town Justice. In Rensselaerville, Gary Zeh, challenger in the heated race for highway superintendent, secured the Republican and Independence lines.

Knox

Knox Town Justice Jean Gagnon, a Democrat, got three Conservative votes, losing the line to Donati, a Republican challenger, who got 15 votes, according to the unofficial results from the Albany County Board of Elections, and Knox Town Hall. The two candidates tied for the Independence line with eight votes, according to Town Clerk Kimberly Swain, but unofficial results from the board of elections only count six votes for Gagnon.

“What’ll have to happen is, absentee ballots will have to be counted first, and the results made official, and I believe the party executive committee will then make the decision, if there is, indeed, a tie,” said Paul Caputo, chairman of the Albany County Independence Party.

Also in Knox, Republican Clerk Swain, who is running for re-election, received eight Independence votes and 10 Conservative votes, securing both lines over write-in candidate Deborah Liddle, who received three Independence votes, and two Conservative votes, according to Swain.

Rensselaerville

In Rensselaerville, Marion Cooke garnered 30 votes, according to the board of elections, allowing her to run on the Independence line for one of the two open town board seats this fall, though results tallied at town hall only counted 20 votes for Cooke.  She is also running on the Republican line.

“I’m very pleased Marion won,” Caputo said. “She’s a very good candidate, and she very much impressed our committee.”

Additionally, Democrat John Kudlack received 32 votes, according to the board of elections, though town hall counted 12 votes for Kudlack, tying him with Conservative Robert Bolte, who received 12 write-in votes for the second opening on the Independence line. Current Democratic Councilwoman Sherri Pine received four write-in votes, according to results from town hall.

On the Independence line in the race for highway superintendent will be Republican candidate Gary Zeh, who received 12 write-in votes, according to unofficial results from Rensselaerville Town Hall, while current Democratic Highway Superintendent G. Jon Chase received nine. Zeh also received 70 votes and 2 write-in votes to run on the Republican line.

Michael Webber, a Republican nominee for assessor, got one write-in for highway superintendent on the Republican line.

Mickey Mouse received one vote as well.