Election results show clear divide within Monroe

BY HEMA EASLEY
MONROE — Frank Baldassare spent most of election night in November swinging between relief at the huge voter turnout in Monroe and fear that it might not be enough to put his favored candidate for supervisor over the finish line.

His fears proved right. Emily Convers, the United Monroe candidate, lost by 794 votes despite an unprecedented turnout Nov. 5 that was just 219 less than in the presidential election last year.

Ultimately, more voters turned out in the Village of Kiryas Joel who almost exclusively supported Harley E. Doles III. He ran on the Democratic and Working Families line.

Most residents knew the town was divided in its support for the two candidates.

But did they know how much?
Lopsided

An analysis of the district by district vote in Monroe shows that Convers won a scant six votes in Kiryas Joel’s 14 voting districts. There are 8,378 registered voters in the village, according to the Orange County Board of Elections' September figures, the latest available.

Of these, 6,436 voted in the Nov. 5 election for supervisor.

Doles, the eventual winner, had overwhelming support in Kiryas Joel but won only 372 votes in the town. Monroe, minus Kiryas Joel, has 11,728 registered voters, of which 6,646 voted on Election Day.

"The town is more divided than ever because Doles is KJ," said Baldassare, a volunteer for United Monroe, echoing what many on the losing side believe.

Incumbent Sandy Leonard, who ran on the Republican line but was not endorsed by her party, won 296 votes in all.

As many as 372 ballots were left blank on election night.

The Democratic candidates for town council – Richard Colon and Gerard McQuade – won by similar margins with most of their support coming Kiryas Joel.

The losing candidates from United Monroe – Dennis McWatters and Natalie Strassner – lost by similar counts to Convers and drew their support overwhelming from the town portion of Monroe.

The same story line was apparent in the vote for town justice, with the Kiryas Joel-supported Lurlyn Winchester, a Democrat, defeating Audra Schwartz, a United Monroe candidate who was primarily supported by town residents.

Overall turnout: 65%
In the end, Kiryas Joel, a village of 1.1 square miles with registered voters about two-thirds of those in the rest of the town of Monroe, was able to outvote the larger town. Voter turnout in Monroe was 57 percent. In Kiryas Joel it was 77. Overall, 65 percent of all voters in Monroe voted in the election.

“They have the discipline,” said Louis Becker, a retired librarian who was disappointed with the election outcome. “Here we don’t. We have a diverse group here.”

'Bloc vote'
The stark division in support wasn’t always so despite long-standing concerns about Kiryas Joel’s “bloc vote” among the larger public. A look at the last few elections for supervisor and town council shows voters in Monroe or Kiryas Joel didn’t exclusively support one candidate over the other.

Even Doles wife, Maria Vasquez-Doles, who ran for state Supreme Court in November and won, received support from both town residents and voters from Kiryas Joel. The division was limited to the town election.

Background
Many residents believe the bitter cleavage grew out of a decision by the Town Board to buy the Monroe movie theater in November 2012 for $880,000 at auction without public input. A groundswell of opposition created the "Save the Monroe Movie Theater" group, which eventually provided impetus for the United Monroe party because people felt the town board wasn't hearing their voice.

The group's lawsuit seeking to overturn the sale remains in court.

Separate or detente
The grass roots movement and the huge turnout during election still didn't change the status quo.

For disillusioned Monroe residents, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Some, like Becker, think the town should separate from the Village of Kiryas Joel because they say both groups have divergent interests. Failing that, Becker said, election districts should be carved out based on geography, rather than the current at-large seats.

"We feel we are not getting the representation and we can't vote the incumbents out," said Becker. "We are completely at the mercy of the bloc vote."

Not all residents feel this way. K.J. Walters, a teacher, said that though the bloc vote was threatening to people, the current level of animosity wouldn't fix the problem.

"The two sides are entrenched because United Monroe came close to winning, and they'll dig in more," said Walters. But "the Cold War didn't end because we defeated the Russians. It ended because of detente."

Walters called for a more inclusive community where both sides would reach out. For example, he said, the Monroe Cheese Festival could be held on a day other than Saturday, the Jewish sabbath when Kiryas Joel residents don't venture out for religious reasons.

Baldassare echoed a common refrain among United Monroe supporters that could serve as a salve to the divisive atmosphere - Doles should appoint a defeated United Monroe candidate to fill the town board seat he will vacate when he takes charge as supervisor.

If not, Baldassare said, it would be a one-party board that would reinforce the view that Monroe voters don't have a voice. In that case, he said, reflecting the sense of despair in the town, there would be no future for town residents.

“Once they are a majority, Monroe will be known as Kiryas Joel. Politicians will give them all they want.”