Election Withdrawal

Back in November, Tom DePietro, then running for Common Council president, lost the election because 286 people who might have voted for him voted instead for a candidate who had withdrawn from the race more than two months earlier. Withdrawal also played a part in DePietro's brief write-in candidacy for the HCSD Board of Education.

On Sunday, Gossips shared the news that DePietro would be willing to serve on the school board if he were elected as a write-in candidate. (There were three openings on the school board, and only two candidates.) On Tuesday morning—the day of the school board election—DePietro reportedly was informed that he could not serve on the school board and continue to hold the positions he has in city government. DePietro is the chair of the Planning Board, a position that also gives him a seat on the board of the Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA), the Industrial Development Agency (IDA), and the Waterfront Advisory Steering Committee (WASC). Unwilling to give up his positions in city government, DePietro sent out emails yesterday, shortly after the polls had opened, telling people he was withdrawing as a write-in candidate and urging people to write in Willette Jones.

The Register-Star reported today: "There were at least 93 write-in votes. The potential write-in candidate has to be checked to see if she is eligible. The name of the candidate is not available at this time." The pronoun used may be a tell. Gossips has learned unofficially that Jones received more write-in votes than DePietro.
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