Elections
Open Salina supervisor seat pits town councilor against former county legislator
PN Team • 1 month ago
Salina, N.Y. voters will choose a new town supervisor after Democrat Raul Huerta, who unseated Nick Paro in a 2023 blue-wave win, opted not to seek re-election. The race pits Democrat Leesa Paul, a two-term town board member, against Republican David Stott, a former town councilor and county legislator making his first run as a Republican after decades as a Democrat. The town, with about 32,400 residents and a $20 million budget, has more registered Democrats than Republicans, though non-enrolled voters form a significant bloc.
Both candidates cite economic development, housing, and vacant commercial properties as priorities, while splitting on property reassessment, which Paul supports and Stott opposes. A key local issue is the ICE processing facility in Salina, which includes holding cells and has drawn repeated resident pressure at town board meetings over zoning authority and oversight; Paul favors waiting on legal review, while Stott considers it a lower priority than economic issues. Both support more housing amid demand tied to Micron Technology's planned arrival, though they diverge on data center development. Early voting begins Oct. 24, with Election Day Nov. 3.
Sources:
Sentiment
- Wave elections in the United States The 2023 blue-wave win is referenced factually as context for the prior election outcome.
- Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is mentioned as the party affiliation of candidates Huerta and Paul without evaluative framing.
- Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is mentioned as the party affiliation of candidate Stott without evaluative framing.
- New York (state) New York is mentioned as the state where Salina is located, a neutral geographic reference.