CANANDAIGUA, NY — One vote is all that separates Canandaigua Town Supervisor Jared Simpson and Democratic challenger Don Cotter, according to unofficial results Nov. 4 from the Ontario County Board of Elections.
Simpson, a Republican, former schoolteacher, and chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, had 1,708 votes after the election night polls closed.
Cotter, who is co-owner of CDGA Coffee Co. and co-founder of Naked Dove Brewing Co., had 1,707 votes. He also ran on the Canandaigua Forward line, which earned him 75 votes.
There was one write-in vote.
More mail-in and military ballots will be counted in the days ahead.
Simpson said the numbers will be looked at carefully.
“It’s still too close to call,” Simpson said on election night at Lincoln on Main restaurant where Republicans gathered. “I’m confident that we will pull through at the end of the day.”
Cotter said essentially the same when reached on election night, but added he is proud of the efforts of the Democratic team and “really, really happy” with the turnout.
The four-person race for two seats on the Canandaigua Town Board also was a close one.
Democrat Bobby Ellis earned 1,730 votes to lead the way, with only 14 votes separating running mate Scott Hall, 1,654 votes, and Republican Incumbent Councilman Terry Fennelly, 1,640, for the second seat. Republican Mick Szoczei had 1,606 votes.
“We did a lot of things, and I don’t know which of those things we did right,” Cotter said. “But obviously there’s something we did right in our campaign that the voters responded to.”
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: One vote separates Canandaigua town supervisor candidates in razor-thin race
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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