The Race Is On: Rockland County Heads to the Polls on Election Day

Yisroel R.

Following a strong early voting turnout across Rockland County, Election Day is finally here. Early voting ran from October 24 through November 1, with Rockland seeing an 81% increase in early voting compared to the 2022 midterm election.

Today, Tuesday, November 3, voters across Rockland County are heading to the polls to decide a packed ballot that stretches from the race for governor and one of the most closely watched congressional contests in the country to State Senate, Assembly, judicial, and local town races.

Here is a breakdown of the races voters will see on their ballots across Rockland County.

Governor: Governor Kathy Hochul is seeking another term against Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive. Lieutenant Governor Adrienne Adams is running against Republican Todd Hood.

State Comptroller: State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is seeking reelection against Republican Joseph Hernandez.

Attorney General: Attorney General Letitia James is seeking reelection against Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy.

Congress: The congressional race is the same for voters throughout Rockland County. All of Rockland is part of New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Republican Congressman Mike Lawler is seeking reelection against Democratic challenger Cait Conley. The district includes all of Rockland and Putnam counties, along with portions of Westchester and Dutchess counties, and the race has drawn national attention as one of the country’s most competitive contests for control of the House of Representatives.

State Senate: One of the most contested races in Rockland County this year is in the 38th State Senate District, where incumbent Republican State Senator Bill Weber is seeking reelection against Democrat Joe Rand, the mayor of Nyack.

Nearly all of Rockland County, including the entire Town of Ramapo, is part of the 38th District. The district covers Ramapo, Clarkstown, Haverstraw, and most of Orangetown. Stony Point is the exception in Rockland, falling into the 40th State Senate District, where Democratic State Senator Peter Harckham is facing Republican Sergio Esposito.

State Assembly: The Assembly map is divided even further, with four different State Assembly districts covering portions of Rockland County.

For much of the Monsey area, the most closely watched race is in the 97th Assembly District, as longtime Askan and Democratic Assemblyman Aron Wieder is seeking a second term. Wieder is facing Republican Rob Bonomolo. The 97th District includes portions of Ramapo, including areas around Monsey, Chestnut Ridge, Spring Valley, New Square, and New Hempstead, as well as portions of Orangetown.

Not every Ramapo voter, however, is in the 97th District. Western portions of the town, including areas around Airmont, Suffern, Montebello, Sloatsburg, and Hillburn, fall into the 98th Assembly District. Republican Assemblyman Karl Brabenec is seeking another term there and is running unopposed on the Republican and Conservative lines. The district crosses the county line into Orange County and also includes communities including Port Jervis, Warwick, Tuxedo, Deerpark, Greenville, Minisink, Mount Hope, and portions of Monroe.

Elsewhere in Rockland, the 96th Assembly District covers all of Clarkstown and Haverstraw, along with a portion of Orangetown. Democratic Assemblyman Patrick Carroll is seeking reelection against Republican Brett Yagel. The 99th Assembly District covers all of Stony Point before extending into Orange County, where Democratic Assemblyman Christopher Eachus is facing Republican Richard Vargus.

Town Elections: At the town level, several familiar officials are seeking reelection. In Ramapo, Town Supervisor Michael Specht and Highway Superintendent Fredric Brinn are both running unopposed. Haverstraw Town Supervisor Howard Phillips Jr., Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny, and Stony Point Supervisor Amy Conklin-Stamm are also seeking new terms without opposition.

In Clarkstown, Town Supervisor George Hoehmann is running for reelection against Eugene Bondar, while Highway Superintendent Bob Milone is seeking another term against Robert Sambevski. Voters in Clarkstown will also decide four Town Council seats, along with the race for town clerk.

Judicial Races: Voters will also see judicial contests on their ballots, including races for State Supreme Court justices in New York’s Ninth Judicial District, which includes Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange counties.

Additional Local Elections: Depending on where they live, voters may also see additional local contests specific to their municipality or election district. The exact races appearing on each ballot vary by location, making it important for voters to review their individual ballots.

The Other Side of the Ballot: As previously reported by Rockland Daily, voters will also be asked to decide proposed changes to the Rockland County Charter, which outlines how county government operates.

The proposed amendments include changes to how county contracts are approved, how appointments are confirmed, and how responsibilities are divided between the County Executive and County Legislature. Other changes would update county departments, administrative procedures, and existing provisions of the Charter.

The proposals include a new process for reviewing certain county contracts, along with changes involving the Human Rights Department, county boards and commissions, and other government operations.

Voters should make sure to check the reverse side of their ballots to review the proposals before casting their votes.

Where to Vote Today: Polling locations across Rockland County will be open today from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with voting taking place at designated locations throughout the county, including schools, municipal buildings, and other community facilities.

Unlike early voting, when residents could cast their ballots at any of the county’s seven early voting centers, Election Day voters must report to their assigned polling location based on their registered address. Some locations may be the same as early voting sites, while others are different.

Residents are encouraged to confirm their designated polling location before heading out by visiting the official New York State Board of Elections voter lookup at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/.

With several races expected to be closely watched well beyond Rockland County, Election Day brings months of campaigning to a close as voters across Monsey and the rest of Rockland cast their ballots and determine who will represent their communities in Albany, Washington, and local government. 

Askanim and community leaders are urging residents to go out and exercise their right to vote, emphasizing the importance of taking part in the democratic process and having their voices heard in choosing their local representatives.