Gang to challenge Banks for Supervisor

Dresden Supervisor Robert Banks will be challenged for another term by a longtime resident of the community.

George Gang, who has lived in Dresden for three-and-a-half decades, will oppose Banks for supervisor in this fall’s election.

Gang received the Democratic nomination during that party’s caucus on Aug. 6.

A part-time tax preparer for H&R Block, Gang is a former Sr. Buyer for Tyco Healthcare and has managed a non-profit food co-op. He holds a Masters Degree from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the State University of New York at Albany.

Gang will seek to displace Banks, a Republican who has held the office of supervisor since 1993 and is one of the longest-tenured politicians in Washington County.

Banks serves on the Finance and Personnel, Human Services and Public Works committees at the county level.

The race highlights an unusually busy election year in Dresden.

Three candidates—two Republicans and one Democrat—will vie for two seats on town council. Current board member Wayne Barrett has chosen not to run and Art Borin, a longtime board member and past president of the Huletts Landing Fire Department, passed away earlier this week. 

Carl Sobeck, a Democrat, will oppose Republicans Patrick Greenough and Eddie Raymond for town council.

Sobeck is originally from New Jersey, but has lived in Dresden for more than a decade and is a retired electrical contractor.

Banks, who is the chair of Dresden Republican Party, said he was pleased with the candidates his party nominated.

He said Greenough is a former town councilman who would bring experience to the board. Raymond is a newcomer to the political scene but should be a good candidate, said Banks.

Dresden’s political parties also selected two candidates for town justice.

Jared Eggleston, one of two current justices serving in Dresden—his father, Jack Eggleston, is the other—will be opposed by Helen Marie Sunkenberg, a Protestant minister who recently served a church in Putnam.

The position of town justice is a four-year term.

The full slate of candidates is a far cry from last year’s election, which was devoid of any competitive races and featured only a handful of candidates who ran unopposed.

The town’s Democratic Party has had difficulties finding candidates in the past.

“It can be an uphill battle in this area,” said Louise Davidson, chair of the Dresden Democratic Party.

The current town board is comprised entirely of Republicans.

Democrats have had difficulties gaining a foothold in local and county politics. Only two of the current supervisors in the county are Democrats and Hampton Democratic Party, which held its caucus last week, failed to present a candidate for the upcoming election.

Whitehall

The Whitehall Republican Party held its caucus last month and has a full slate for this fall’s election.

Supervisor George Armstrong will seek another two years in office and longtime town councilman Dave Hollister will also seek reelection.

John Rozell will seek election to town council and village trustee Ken Bartholomew and incumbent justice Tom Nichols will both seek four-year terms as town justice.

Whitehall’s Democratic Party has yet to hold it caucus. Current board member Richard LaChapelle has indicated that he will not seek another term in office.