After a tense primary season marked by blistering heat and competitive local races, Democratic voters across Ulster County backed candidates promising transparency, action, and a break from business as usual. In Woodstock, Shandaken, Olive, and Hurley, new and incumbent candidates emerged from Tuesday’s Democratic primaries with clear mandates—though one local contest remains too close to call.
Anula Courtis won the Democratic nomination for Woodstock Town Supervisor in a three-way race, taking 60.4% of the vote. Courtis, currently serving on the Town Board, attributed her success to “well thought out, real solutions” and “bringing new voices to the table.”
“I anticipate something exciting where we’re going to be able to do more,” she told The Overlook in an interview following her win. “There’ll be more talking. There’ll be more listening.”
Turnout in Woodstock was high for a primary, with 37.8% of registered Democrats voting—translating to nearly 25% of all registered voters in town. The race for the second Woodstock Town Board seat, however, remains undecided. As of Thursday, only 10 votes separate candidates Lily Korolkoff and Marcel Nagele.
Ashley Torres, Ulster County’s Democratic Commissioner of Elections, confirmed the race is headed toward a manual hand count. “In the case of the closer elections, we often will have to perform manual hand counts,” she said. “That is a process we will undertake next week at our office in Kingston. We invite anyone interested in observing that process to contact the office.”
Torres praised the poll workers who endured extreme heat during the 14-hour day. “The primary day went smoothly. I spent most of my afternoon driving around Olive and Shandaken delivering water and ice,” she said. “It’s always rewarding to witness democracy firsthand.”
In Shandaken, Barbara Mansfield unseated incumbent Peter DiSclafani with 71% of the vote. “Change is in the wind,” she said. “I went to Independents and Republicans and asked what was working for them and what didn’t. It is going to be really heart-driven, community-driven change.”
Mansfield said a community-based approach to zoning will be her top priority heading into the general election. “So many of the things that I would like to do hinge on it,” she said.
In Hurley, Town Supervisor Michael Boms fended off a primary challenge from Peter Humphries, winning 55.6% to 44.4%. The former town councilman emphasized progress on long-standing infrastructure issues as key to his reelection.
“We did like four drainage issues in town—two of them were in the queue for almost 20 years,” Boms said. “We got it done.”
Other victories included Kimberly Daley’s defeat of incumbent Dawn Giuditta for Olive Town Clerk/Tax Collector, with 73.4% of the vote, and continued leadership wins for incumbents in Hurley’s Town Clerk and Highway Superintendent races.
As canvassing continues and general election campaigns take shape, Courtis says she’s ready for what comes next. “I’ve stepped away from my full-time work. I intend to be a full-time supervisor,” she said. “I’m at that point in my life where I’d like to be more in service.”
Final results will be certified by the Ulster County Board of Elections in the coming weeks.
For ongoing updates or to observe the recount process, contact the Ulster County Board of Elections at elections@co.ulster.ny.us.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.