Jen Metzger to lead Ulster County, defeats James Quigley in executive race

Former state Senator Jen Metzger will soon become Ulster County’s executive.

The Democrat defeated Republican James Quigley to serve the final year of Rep. Pat Ryan’s term, in unofficial results Tuesday.

Deputy County Executive Johanna Contreras has been leading the county since Ryan won a special election in August to represent the 19^th Congressional District. An election for the next full four-year executive term will be held next fall.

Metzger, who previously represented the 42^nd state Senate District in 2019 and 2020, defeated Quigley, the Town of Ulster’s supervisor. Metzger garnered 55.7% of the vote. She'll be sworn in Jan. 1.

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“I look forward to building on the great work of former County Executive Pat Ryan, in partnership with the county legislature and our communities," Metzger said in a statement. "Together, we can create a resilient, sustainable, and thriving local economy that leaves no one behind.”

According to Board of Elections figures, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 57,067 to 30,672, as of the start of this month.

While campaigning, Metzger listed aiding the county’s housing crisis as a key objective, as well as expanding Ulster’s mental health services to "make sure the county is addressing the whole person." By extension, she also includes the opioid abuse epidemic, for which the county just received a $1.3 million federal grant, in mental-health services.

The Rosendale resident said while in the state Senate, she worked on mental-health issues that would affect the county, from getting funding for a peer-to-peer counseling and support program for the county's veterans, to introducing a bill for children's summer camps to hire licensed mental-health professionals.

Metzger in the campaign also proposed to expand the county's public transportation system. Ulster County Area Transit, the county bus service, needs to expand its routes to reduce people's reliance on individual cars, Metzger said.

"Also, many people can't afford cars, and this would be a huge benefit to get them to work or to school," she said.

Contreras last month introduced a $378.5 million 2023 budget for the county that decreased the tax levy by 3% and adds staff, commits to green growth and bolsters social services and support for its Crisis Stabilization Center.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Jen Metzger wins Ulster County Executive seat over James Quigley