Bolte gets Republican line

RENSSELAERVILLE — Conservative Robert Bolte, in his second bid for town board, has secured the Republican line in the race against Democratic incumbent, Dale Dorner. Having won the Independence primary last Tuesday, Bolte will run on three party lines in November.

After being rescheduled twice, the Republican caucus was held on Friday at the Preston Hollow firehouse.

At the caucus, the town’s Republican committee nominated Bolte as its candidate for town board. And, in the race for town judge, the Republicans nominated Myra Dorman, a former supervisor and councilwoman.

Last fall, Judge Victoria Kraker retired, and the board appointed Timothy Miller to fill the vacancy. Now, Miller, who was nominated by the Democrats at their caucus in June, will have to defeat Dorman to keep his seat on the bench.

With only two posts open in this off year for town elections, Bolte and Dorman were the only two names that were called out by the crowd at Friday’s caucus, according to Michael Weber, interim chairman for the town’s GOP committee.

“In each case, there was only one person that voted no,” Weber said. “There were between 20 and 30 people there, as I recall. Very little participation.” Weber had said before the caucus that he would prefer to see a Republican get the town board nomination; Bolte is a Conservative.

One town board seat is open this November because Marie Dermody, formerly a councilwoman, was elected supervisor last November, taking office on Jan. 1. Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 3 to 1 in Rensselaerville, and the town board reflected that ratio after the November elections.

Bolte, who ran last year with both Conservative and Republican backing, came in close third in a four-way race for two seats; incumbent Democrat Sherri Pine garnered the fewest votes and lost her seat.

At its Jan. 1 re-organizational meeting, the four-member town board voted unanimously to appoint Dorner — a Democratic newcomer to politics — to fill Dermody’s vacant seat. Now, Dorner will be backed by the Democrats to hold her post on the board.