What’s on the Ballot?

Credit: Edmond Dantès via Pexels

Amid midterms and research papers, the 2023 election creeps up on Marist students. Researching candidates can quickly fall to the bottom of our priority list as work ramps up and Halloween approaches. If you are registered to vote at Marist, you will see these key races on your ballot.

Candidates will be ordered as they appear on the ballot.

State Supreme Court Justice

The New York State Supreme court is the trial court with the broadest jurisdiction in the state.

Francesca E. Connolly - Connolly has 18 years of judicial experience and is running for re-election to the State Supreme Court. She is currently an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Court, a court a case goes to after being appealed. She is running on the Democratic line as well as the Conservative line.

Charley Wood - Wood has served on the New York State Supreme Court for 14 years and is running for re-election. He is running on the Democratic line as well as the Conservative line.

Rolf M. Thorsen - Thorsen has 15 years of judicial experience and is running for re-election. Prior to serving on the NYS Supreme Court, he served as a Town Justice and County Court Judge for Rockland County. He is running on both the Democratic and Conservative lines.

Larry J. Schwartz - Scwartz has 7 years of experience on the bench starting out as a County Court Judge in 2016. He is currently a Rockland County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Judge. He is running on both the Democratic and Conservative lines.

John A. Sarcone, III - Scarcone III has 20 years of experience as an attorney, representing clients at the local, state, and federal levels. He previously ran for District Attorney in 2022. He is running on the Republican line.

Karen A. Ostberg - Ostberg has 37 years of legal experience, and is among the 5% of lawyers licensed to appear in front of the United States Supreme Court. She currently serves as a Town Justice in Minisink, Orange County. She has one year of judicial experience for the Minisink Town Court. She is running on the Republican line.

Susan M. Sullivan-Bisceglia - Sullivan-Bisceglia has 25 years of law experience serving as a judge and as an attorney. She is currently a judge serving in the town of LaGrange. She was previously an acting Poughkeepsie City Court Judge, Town of Union Vale Justice, and an Associate Justice in the Village of Wappingers. She is running on the Republican line.

John Ciampoli - John Ciampoli has 13 years of legal experience. He previously ran for election to the US House of Representatives. Ciampoli is running on the Republican line.

County Clerk

The County Clerk is responsible for the maintenance of court records in the county. Licensing and certifications for residents and citizens are also managed by the County Clerk.

Kenya Gadsden - Gadsden has three decades of experience working for the not-for-profit organization Lifespire assisting people with intellectual disabilities. Gadsden has served on the Beacon City School Board and served as the Vice President of the board for 2 years. She also served on the Fishkill Town Board. She wants to improve the efficiency of DMV services by upgrading the appointment services, expand County Clerk services beyond the central office, and create a welcoming County Clerk’s office for new citizens. She is running on the Democratic line and the Working Families line.

Bradford Kendall - Kendall is running for re-election to the position of Dutchess County Clerk. Kendall has been the Dutchess County Clerk since 2006 and he was voted New York State County Clerk of the year in 2018. Under his leadership the County Clerk transitioned from paper to digital records. He is running on both the Republican and Conservative lines.

District Attorney

A District Attorney has the responsibility of filing criminal charges, recommending sentencing, and launching further investigations.

Anthony Parisi - Parisi is a Dutchess County native that continued his legal career in Dutchess County post graduation as a Dutchess County Public Defender. He believes it is important to prevent crime by understanding the causes of crime. He also believes it is important for the District Attorney’s Office to remain transparent with the public. He is running on the Democratic line and the Working Families line

Matthew A. Weishaupt - Weishaupt has nearly 40 years of experience as the District Attorney of Dutchess County. In his time as District Attorney he won six first degree murder cases including the first Dutchess County capital murder case. Weishaupt wants to put an end to the fentanyl and opioid crisis through targeted law enforcement against drug dealers in the county. He also believes in creating stricter bail laws in the interest of public safety. He is running on the Republican line and the Conservative line.

County Executive

Tommy Zurhellen - Zurhellen is a Marist professor, veteran, and activist. He founded the organization VetZero to provide transportation and jobs to veterans. He started the program following his walk across America to bring awareness to the veteran housing crisis. Zurhellen is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines.

Susan J. Serino - Sue Serino represented Dutchess County in the State Senate for 7 years from 2017 to 2022. Serino is a small business owner and believes in the importance of supporting local Dutchess County businesses. She is a supporter of strong law enforcement and is against cashless bail. She also prioritizes the health of the county, working to eliminate mental health stigma and protecting the county from tick borne disease. Serino is running on the Republican line and the Conservative line.