Poughkeepsie Votes: See the Full Results
Who will be representing the 845 at all levels of government
This past Tuesday, citizens in Poughkeepsie and around the country cast their ballots — not just for president, but many local, state and federal offices as well. Read below for a full recap on how Poughkeepsie voted, and who is celebrating their victories this weekend.
President — Donald Trump (R)
Okay, so if you haven’t heard that Donald Trump won the presidency, I’m not sure what rock you’ve been living under. And although this has shocked and angered much of the country, this may not be such bad news for many Poughkeepsie voters. While Clinton did win New York State’s 29 electoral votes, Trump carried Dutchess County (albeit barely), earning 58,163 votes to Clinton’s 56,874 — according to unofficial results released Wednesday. This gave him just a 1.1% advantage. A total of 4.2% of voters decided to go third party, with Johnson winning 3,304 votes and Stein with 1,858.
U.S. Senate — Charles Schumer (D)
Statewide, incumbent Schumer won by an impressive margin, earning 70.4% of the vote. In Dutchess County, his lead over Republican challenger Wendy Long was not quite as dramatic but still decisive —58% to Long’s 39.6%. Schumer has been serving as a U.S. Senator since 1999, and it doesn’t look like residents want to replace him any time soon. He will continue to work with fellow Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who was first elected to the Senate in 2009 and is up for re-election in 2018.
U.S. Congress (District 18) — Sean Patrick Maloney (D)
Both the city and town of Poughkeepsie are part of New York’s 18th congressional district, which also chose to keep their Democratic incumbent, Sean Patrick Maloney. Throughout the district, he won 149,056 votes to beat Phil Oliva (R) who received 120,967 votes. However, both Maloney and Schumer will have to deal with a Republican majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.
In the nearby 19th district, Democratic candidate Zephyr Teachout, who Senator Bernie Sanders eagerly campaigned for in New Paltz, lost to Republican John Faso.
New York State Senate (District 41)— Sue Serino (R)
It was a successful rematch for Serino, who lost this senate seat to Democratic opponent Terry Gipson in 2014 by about 3,700 votes. This year, the tables turned and she beat Gipson — receiving 68,384 votes to his 53,920. This was a race that received considerable attention in Poughkeepsie, with signs for both candidates popping up around the city.
New York State Assembly (District 104) — Frank Skartados (D)
It was a sweeping victory for Skartados, who received 26,023 votes to beat his challenger William Banuchi, who won 6,293 votes. Banuchi, a self-proclaimed “Constitutional Conservative,” ran on a platform of Christian values including being pro-life, and anti same-sex marriage. Now, his website actually phrases his position as “supports authentic marriage,” but we can read between the lines.
On Skartados’ Facebook page, he states that he “is trying to bring a new, non-partisan outlook to Albany.”
Poughkeepsie City Councilman (8th Ward) — Matthew McNamara (D)
It was an emotional victory for McNamara, who ran unopposed and will now be filling the seat left by his late husband, Tracy Hermann, who died in March of this year. Hermann was 52 when he suddenly died of a heart attack, leaving behind McNamara and their daughter, Roxy. He was initially elected to the city council in 2014, and now McNamara will be continuing his work.
Poughkeepsie Referendums
The City of Poughkeepsie approved both of their propositions — the public library budget and changes to the city charter. The town also approved their public library budget, but rejected the position to make the town clerk a four year position.
