REGIONAL – As we head into the election season once more in the Hudson Valley, perhaps the most notable race is that for Ulster County Executive. Mike Hein, now fifty and seeking his third term in the job, faces former County Legislature chair Terry Bernardo, who lost her seat on the legislature to Lynn Archer in a tight race two years ago. Also in the mix is Hunter Downie of the Green Party. After some scheduling difficulties, a debate between the candidates under the auspices of the Hudson Valley League of Women Voters has now been scheduled for October 26. A venue has yet to be determined, though a spokesman for the Hein campaign said it was most likely to be in Kingston.

Meanwhile in Ulster County legislature races, much of what will be happening will be non-eventful this year, as incumbents Manna Jo Greene (D-Rosendale), T.J. Briggs (D-Ellenville/Wawarsing), and Craig Lopez (R-Shawangunk/Wawarsing) all run unopposed.

Meanwhile in District 18, which covers Marbletown, incumbent Richard Parete and challenger Douglas Adams will meet again in the general election. They contested the Democratic Party primary, which Adams won by a close margin. Parete was already registered for the Republican, Independence and Working Families party lines. Parete is a lifelong resident of the area, a graduate of Rondout Valley High School and a wrestling coach. Adams has lived in Ulster County for twenty-one years, has been on the Marbletown town board since 2009, previously serving on the Marbletown Tax Reform Task Force for three years.

In District 21, Lynn Archer is running for re-election on the Democratic and Working Families lines. She is being challenged by Ronald Lapp Jr. who has the Republican, Independence and Conservative lines. Archer was a Senior VP of Human Resources at JP Morgan Chase who opened her own small business, Archer Fine Art and Framing, in High Falls. She ran against Terry Bernardo in 2013, winning a close election; before that she was a member of the Rochester town board for six years. Lapp retired as a sergeant in the New Paltz Police Department in 2013, after serving for close to thirty years there. He is currently a peace officer at SUNY Ulster.

Further south, still, in District 2 of Sullivan County — which includes the west side of Mamakating, the Village of Wurtsboro, and the towns of Lumberland, Forestburgh and Highland —Kathy Labuda is the Democratic Party incumbent seeking re-election to a third four-year term. Challenging her is Nadia Rajsz, the supervisor of the Town of Lumberland who almost defeated LaBuda in a recent Democratic primary last month. Rajsz is an assistant professor in the Clinical Laboratory Science Department at SUNY Orange.

Right next door, in District 4 — which includes Bloomingburg, Burlingham, Phillipsport and Summitville — Catherine Owens is running on the Republican and Rural Heritage lines. Running against her on the Democratic line is Jonathan Rouis, a long time Sullivan County Legislator well known from his accounting business in Wurtsboro. Owens is married to Bill Herrmann, the Democratic supervisor of the Town of Mamakating.

Turning east, over the Shawangunk Ridge into Ulster County District 16, which includes part of the Town of Shawangunk, incumbent Tracy Bartels, who caucuses with county Democrats but is "non-enrolled," will face a challenge from New Paltz realtor John Hinson on the Republican and Independence Party lines.

In Orange County, there is only one county legislative seat in contention this year, in District 13 — which covers Port Jervis, Deer Park and Mount Hope, where Thomas Faggione faces a challenge from Democrat Dick Roberts. This is an important race since the Republicans currently hold an 11-9 edge in the legislature, with Kiryas Joel's Mike Amo caucusing with the Republicans. District 13 was held by Dennis Simmons until March this year when he resigned the seat. Faggione was appointed temporarily and a special election set for this November. Whoever wins will serve out the remaining two years of the current term. If Roberts should win the parties would return to equality, which they last had six years ago.

As for announced chances to meet these candidates, besides the Ulster executive session later in the month, there will be a "Meet the Candidates" event at Phillipsport Community Center on Sunday, October 11 at 2:30 p.m. The regular Meet the Candidates night for Wawarsing and Ellenville candidates, hosted by Ellenville NAACP, has not set a date, and there's no word yet on such events elsewhere throughout our readership area.

More on such specifics over the coming month, along with details on absentee balloting and other need-to-know voting laws.