ALBANY COUNTY — “One thing that we love in the United States of America is a great underdog story …,” says Republican Alicia Purdy. “This is why we go to movies like ‘Rocky’ … We want to see the little guy win.”

ALBANY COUNTY — “I’m a voice often for the voiceless,” said Democrat Patricia Fahy who is making her sixth run to represent the 109th District in the State Assembly.

The two candidates have starkly divergent views on gun policies, abortion, and environmental issues. 

In the end, seven residents launched write-in campaigns to serve on the 11-member board, which has unpaid posts.

State Senator Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat representing the 46th District, will seek election to the new 41st District, which features a large portion of the current 46th District but excludes Albany County. 

Of the 1,101 ballots cast on Tuesday, 893 were in favor of the $28.1 million budget for the 2022-23 school year and 208 were against it.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo voters re-elected incumbent, unchallenged school board candidates Matthew Tedeschi and Rebecca Miller; approved the district’s $25 million budget; and authorized the purchase of several buses, as well as a property that sits adjacent to campus. 

The winning slate was made up of three current school board members — Kelly Person, Gloria Towle-Hilt, and Kimberly Blasiak along with teacher Katie DiPierro. They supported work done by the district’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and also supported teachers being trained to be respectful of LGBT kids.

Michelle Hinchey and Richard Amedure were opponents in 2020, when both sought office for the first time after former Senator George Amedore, a Republican, decided not to seek re-election.

On May 17, Berne-Knox-Westerlo voters will elect two school board candidates — both of whom are uncontested incumbents — and authorize an annual bus proposition, along with the 2022-23 budget and a proposal for the district to purchase a neighboring property for a new business office