The endorsed candidates for Jamestown City Council are all five incumbents: Brent Sheldon (Ward 1 and also the committee chairman), Tony Dolce (W2), Grant Olson, (W5), Kimberly Ecklund (At Large), and Jeffrey Russell (At Large).

Newcomers include: Robert Reedy (W3), owner of Elite Kreations and an Air Force veteran; Andrew Faulkner (W6), a journeyman electrician employed by IBEW Local 106; and Randall Daversa (At Large), retired equipment operator and supervisor for the N.Y.S.D.O.T.

Also returning to the ballot is Richard Elardo (W4), employed by the Jamestown Housing Authority, Classic Brass and operator of the family owned Crescent Inn. Elardo has also ran for the Ward 4 seat in previous elections as well.

• RELATED: Jamestown City Democrats Announce 2021 Local Candidates

The Republicans currently control the Jamestown City Council and will need five victories to maintain control.

“The 2019 election gave a Republicans a majority on City Council a majority for the first time in many years and we hope to build on that in this year’s election with new and fresh ideas”, Sheldon stated, adding, ““We are excited by our full slate of Republican candidates for Jamestown City Council for the first time in over 20 years.”

The city Republican committee also endorsed its Chautauqua County Legislature candidates. They include incumbents Kenneth Lawton, (District 10) and Elisabeth Rankin (District 12). Former Republican legislator David Wilfong (District 11) also makes a return to the ballot this year, after losing his seat in 2019, when he chose not to run for reelection and instead ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Jamestown.  It appears the GOP does not have a candidate for Legislature District 9, which will be an open seat this year after long-time legislator and Democrat Chuck Nazzaro announced he would not be seeking reelection. Instead, the Democrats will have political newcomer Billy Torres on the ballot.

These candidates are only the endorsed candidates by the City Republican Committee. Should any other eligible residents choose to challenge any of the candidates in a party primary, it will take place on Tuesday, June 22.

Vanessa Weinert (left) and Andrew Liuzzo

JAMESTOWN – There will be two new members on the Jamestown City Council.

In the city council at large race, the candidates who received the three highest vote totals were incumbent Kim Ecklund (R), followed by newcomers Vanessa Weinert (D) and Andrew Liuzzo (R).

Ecklund received 2298 votes. Weinert and Liuzzo were only separated by two votes on election night, with Weinert getting 1954 and Liuzzo getting 1952. The next highest vote total went to Michael Laurin (R), with 1863, following by incumbent and current city council president Greg Rabb (D), who received 1854 votes.  Robert Whitney (D) finished sixth with 1650.

There are still 446 absentees were sent out, with 230 returned so far, but Chautauqua County Election Commissioner Norman Green tells WRFA that none of the local races from Election Night – including the city council at large races – are too close to call and the results will most likely stand.

In the two other contested city council races, incumbents Tony Dolce of Ward 2 and Marie Carrubba of Ward 4 each won reelection, defeating Joe Scapallitte and Richard Elardo, respectively.

With the loss of Rabb and the addition of Liuzzo, the city council will now be comprised of 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans when it begins its new term on Jan. 1, 2018.

For Jamestown City Council at-large,  the candidates are Republican incumbent Kim Ecklund along with Republican newcomers Michael Laurin and Andrew Luzzo. On the Democratic side, incumbent and current council president Greg Rabb is running again, along with Democratic newcomer Vanessa Weinert. Also running for an at large seat is Democrat Robert Whitney, who had previously served on the Chautauqua County Legislature.

• Q&A with Jamestown City Council Candidates: Part 1
• Q&A with Jamestown City Council Candidates: Part 2

Because at-large councilman George Spitale, a Democrat, has opted not to run for reelection, there will be at least one new member on the city council.

The two contested ward races on the city council are in Wards 2 (north side) and Ward 4 (west side).

Ward 2

– Anthony Dolce* (R)
– Joseph Scapelitte (D)

• Q&A with Jamestown Ward 2 City Council Candidates

Ward 4
– Marie Carrubba* (D)
– Richard Elardo (R)

City council members who are running for reelection unopposed are:

Ward 1
– Brent Sheldon (R)

Ward 3
– Victoria James (D)

Ward 5
– Maria Jones* (D)

Ward 6
– Thomas Nelson* (D, WF)

There is no mayoral race this year. The next mayor race in the city is set to take place in 2019.

For more information on Election Day 2017, visit www.VoteChautauqua.com.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will remain open until 9 p.m.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi (D) was elected to a fifth consecutive term. Teresi ran unopposed, receiving 1983 votes. There was also 132 write-ins.

For the Jamestown City Council races, of the nine current members, only one was defeated.

Ward 3‘s Alphonso Pagan (R) was defeated by Vicki James (D) 136 to 97. All other council members were reelected, including those who faced opposition.

• WARD 1: incumbent Brent Sheldon (R) 249 d. Tyler Case (D) 155
• WARD 2: incumbent Anthony Dolce (R) 389 d. Joseph Scapelitte (D) 157
• WARD 4: incumbent Marie Carrubba 426 (D) d. Richard Elardo (R) 234
• WARD 5: incumbent Maria Jones (D) 210 d. Stephen Gordon (R) 187
• WARD 6: incumbent Thomas Nelson (D) ran unopposed.

All Three at large council members also ran unopposed and were reelected. They are council president Gregory Rabb (D), George Spitale (D) and Kim Ecklund (R).

There will be 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans once the new term begins in January.

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN HERE

The forum was featured on WRFA’s Community Matters Program the following week.

Candidates for Jamestown City Council attend the League of Women Voters’ Meet the Candidates Forum on Oct. 22, 2015.

Tamara Dickey

JAMESTOWN – Two new Republicans will be added to the Jamestown City Council in January, increasing the overall number to four.

On Friday, Absentee and affidavit ballots were counted for the final time in the race for the city council’s Ward 3 race. After the final tally, it was found that Republican Tamara Dickey collected 233 votes, which was 6 more than her opponent, Democrat Regina Brackman.  They two were running for the open seat currently held by democrat Michael Taylor.

The final result means Dickey will join Republican newcomer Brent Sheldon of Ward 1 on the City Council. Sheldon defeated democrat Tara Hall for the open Ward 1 seat currently held by Steve Szewjbka, an independent who did not seek re-eleciton.

There are two other Republicans on the council as well. They are Tony Dolce of Ward 2 and at-large council member Kim Ecklund. Both ran unopposed in this year’s election.

The five democrats on the council are Gregory Rabb – At-Large; Marie Carrubba – Ward IV; Maria Jones  – Ward V; Paul Whitford  – Ward VI; and George Spitale – At-Large. Of the five, only Carrubba ran opposed. She defeated Republican candidate Richard Elardo on election night.

In the city council’s Ward I race, Republican Brent Sheldon currently leads Tara Hall with an unofficial tally 328 to 300. While several absentee ballots are still left to be counted, Sheldon told WRFA on Election Night that he is confident he won the seat, considering several of the outstanding absentee and affidavit ballots come from a senior living center in the district, where residents tend to lean toward voting Republican.

Meanwhile, in the Ward III seat, Tamara Dickey leads Regina Brackman by just three votes – 208 to 205. That race is too close to call at this point and will rely on absentee ballots, which will be opened on Nov. 18.

In the only other contested race, Democrat Marie Carrubba defeated Republican Richard Elardo 587 to 417.

The city council also had six members who were running unopposed. They were:

• Ward II: Tony Dolce (R,C,I)
• Ward V: Maria Jones (D)
• Ward VI: Paul Whitford (D,WF,I)
• At Large: Kimberly Ecklund (R,C,I)
• At Large: Gregory Rabb (D,WF,I)
• At Large: George Spitale (D,WF,I)

There will also be elections for the downsized county legislature, which will have just 19 seats starting in January 2014, compared to the current 25 seats. In all, there will be 10 contested races for the legislature:

• District 3: Bob Scudder (R,C-Fredonia); Billy Coughlin (D,WF,I-Fredonia)
• District 4: Janet Keefe (D,WF,I-Fredonia); Michael Sullivan (R, C-Fredonia)
• District 5: Susan Baldwin (D-South Dayton); Terry Niebel (R,C,I-Dunkirk)
• District 7: John Runkle (R,C,I-Stockton); Tom DeJoe (D,WF-Brocton)
• District 10: P.J. Wendell (R,C-Lakewood); Sharon Lisciandro (D,I-Lakewood)
• District 11: Dave Wilfong (R,C-Jamestown); Bob Whitney (D,WF,I-Jamestown)
• District 12: William Prieto (R,C-Jamestown); Fred Larson (D,I-Jamestown)
• District 15: Lisa Vanstrom (R,I-West Ellicott); Sam Ognibene (D,C-Falconer)
• District 16: Ron Lemon (R,C-Frewburg); Tom Erlandson (D,I-Frewsburg)
• District 18: David Himelein (R,C,I-Findley Lake); Ed Carutis (D,WF-Sherman)

There are also three Jamestown city council seats that will contested:

• Ward I: Tara Hall (D); Brent Sheldon (R,C)
• Ward III:  Regina Brackman (D); Tamara Dickey (R,C)
• Ward IV: Marie Carrubba (D,WF,I); Richard Elardo (R,C)

For more details on this year’s race, including audio from candidate, visit www.WRFALP.com/election-2013. Information regarding all races for 2013 can also be found at www.VoteChautauqua.com.