Decision Day: What to know for NY's 19th special election, Hudson Valley primaries Tuesday

Neither county’s executive position is on the ballot this year.

But voters across the 19^th Congressional District on Tuesday will decide who will become the next leader for either Dutchess or Ulster county.

In addition to primary elections Tuesday to determine the candidates who will run for Congressional seats in November, there’s a special election in the 19^th between Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan that will have an immediate impact.

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Both men are running to fill the seat vacated by Rhinebeck Democrat Antonio Delgado, who earlier this year dropped out of a reelection bid to take over as lieutenant governor. The winner would hold the seat through the balance of Delgado’s term at the end of this year, when the winner of the November general election is sworn in.

Polls are open at all sites from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; For the polling place for your address, visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. Visit poughkeepsiejournal.com Tuesday for live results.

Who can vote?

Primary elections are reserved for members of the party holding the primary. However, the special election Tuesday is open to all registered voters in the 19^th district.

Subsequently, many voters will have two different ballots to fill, if they haven’t done so already during the nine-day early voting period.

Though the special election’s outcome may most immediately impact Dutchess or Ulster, the decision is being made by voters throughout the broad 19^th District, which includes most of Dutchess and all of Ulster, but also all of Sullivan, Columbia, Greene, Delaware, Schoharie and Ostego counties, and parts of Rensselaer, Montgomery and Broome counties.

The redrawn 19^th District − the lines for which are being followed for the primary elections Tuesday and general election in November − covers a different area. It begins at the Dutchess/Columbia border east of the river, and the northern portion of Ulster to the west.

Meanwhile, the redrawn 18th includes all of Orange County, the southern half of Ulster and most of Dutchess; East Fishkill and Pawling and part of Beekman in Dutchess are in the 17th.

What will it mean for Dutchess or Ulster?

Last week, representatives of both Molinaro’s and Ryan’s county executive offices were reticent to speak about how they have been preparing for a possible change in leadership. Neither could say when they expected their executive to be sworn into Congress and vacate their position should they win.

Both men are also running for a full term in November, with Molinaro remaining in the redrawn 19^th District and Ryan running in the 18^th.

In both cases, the next steps are dictated by county charter. Both terms run through the end of next year.

If Molinaro wins, Deputy County Executive William F.X. O'Neil would stand to complete Molinaro’s term, in accordance with the county charter. The deadline has passed for holding a prospective special election for the office.

O'Neil was the assistant to former County Executive William R. Steinhaus, Molinaro's predecessor. He joined Molinaro's administration as chief of staff and then became the deputy county executive when the position was created in 2012. In May, O’Neil said he would be “honored to succeed” Molinaro, hoping to continue working on the objectives and priorities Molinaro has set in recent months.

Unlike Dutchess, while a designated successor − Deputy County Executive Johanna Contreras − would assume the Ulster County Executive’s Office if Ryan leaves, it would only be for until a special election is held and a winner is certified.

Contreras was appointed deputy county executive in January, having previously worked in New York City’s Office of Management and Budget as the assistant director for education.

The special election would “be held no later than 90 days from the date” Ryan leaves office, and the electee “shall serve for the balance of the unexpired term commencing 30 days from the date of the certification by the Board of Elections,” according to the Ulster County Charter.

Who is running in primaries?

Democrats in the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th Districts have primary ballots to fill Tuesday, while only Republicans and Conservatives in the 17^th have primaries.

Republican candidates for the general election in the 18^th (Assemblyman Colin Schmitt) and 19^th (Molinaro) have already been determined.

Five Republicans are on the ballot in the 17^th: Assemblyman Michael Lawler, 35, of Pearl River; Rockland County Legislator Charles Falciglia, 66, of Suffern; Somers Town Board member William Faulkner, 55; retired advertising executive Jack Schrepel, 66, of Chester; and Shoshana David, 50, of Harrison.

Two of the Republicans − Schrepel and David − live outside of the district. Under federal law, candidates need only live in New York to run here.

Faulkner and Lawler are running against each other for the Conservative nomination.

For Democrats in the 17^th, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-Cold Spring, is seeking a sixth term against Westchester state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who moved to Bedford from Pelham in August to run.

Three Democrats are running in the 18^th: Ryan, Aisha Mills, a political strategist and cable-news pundit and host who lives in Newburgh; and Moses Mugulusi, a state financial examiner from the village of Florida.

In the 19^th, Democrats Josh Riley and Jamie Cheney, both political newcomers, are running for the nomination. Riley is an Ithaca resident on leave from his law practice during his run for office, who previously served in Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s office. Cheney is a small business owner and farmer who resides in Rhinebeck, and a founding partner of Prokanga, which is focused on creating flexible roles for working parents.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: New York elections: What to know for 19th district's special election