HILLTOWNS — Hébert Joseph may have accused Albany County Legislator Chris Smith of not showing up for residents of the 39th District, but those residents showed up for Smith on Election Day. 

According to Albany County’s unofficial vote count, Smith, a Conservative running on the Republican line after winning earlier elections on the Democratic line, was re-elected in a landslide, winning 1,478 votes to Joseph’s 542 — a 73-27 split. There was just one write-in. 

The 39th District covers Berne, Rensselaerville, Westerlo, and a small portion of New Scotland.

Joseph, a Democrat who chairs Rensselaerville’s Democratic committee, was not able to run on the Democratic line after a court challenge by Smith left Joseph with just 28 valid signatures on his petition, out of 280 originally submitted.

Joseph instead ran on the Working Families Party Line and the Hilltowns First line, getting just 152 votes on the latter, compared to 390 on the Working Families line. The Democratic line was left empty.

“[Smith] has been totally absent from our community,” Joseph told The Enterprise this week of the Conservative incumbent. “No one even knows what he looks like.” 

Smith, who owns the popular Berne restaurant Maple on the Lake, shrugged off this criticism, saying that he was in contact with residents every day. 

In an election interview with The Enterprise last month, Joseph did not offer many specific ideas about what he would do in Smith’s place — though neither did Smith, for that matter. 

In essence, Joseph said, “I will be a legislator who shows up.”

On Election Night, Smith told The Enterprise that he wanted to thank his constituents for the “outpouring of support” and said he “can’t wait to serve them for the next four years.” 

Joseph told The Enterprise in an email on Wednesday that the campaign was “clean and well fought,” and congratulated Smith on his victory.

“I think I gave him a run for his money,” Joseph said. “For myself, as a first-timer on the campaign trail, I was happy of my success as it showed me that I have support across all the parties. It also gave me the opportunity to go out and meet the people face-to-face.”

He also thanked his supporters, his campaign managers, and “the many people” who allowed him to put up campaign signs. 

“I will definitely be back for Round 2 as I know and appreciate that there is a lot of work we need to do to help the people in District 39 / the Hilltowns.”