KINGSTON, N.Y. >> With Republican control of the Ulster County Legislature assured for the next term, Chairman Ken Ronk plans to seek a third year at the body’s helm.
“I absolutely would like to run for another term as chairman,” Ronk, R-Wallkill, said Monday. “I feel like we’ve made a great deal of progress as a body. I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot working together.”
Ronk said he’s already begun reaching out to both GOP and Democratic lawmakers in his effort to be re-elected.
The Legislature will select its next chairman at its reorganizational meeting in January.
Republicans had hoped to widen their current 12-11 majority in the Legislature following the Nov. 7 election, but any chance of that disappeared after absentee ballots were opened Monday for District 21, the last close race to counted.
Democrat Lynn Archer held a 50-vote lead at the end of Election Day over incumbent Republican Ronald Lapp, but some Republicans held out hope that Lapp could squeak out a victory once absentee ballots were counted. Ultimately, Archer won by a tally of 1,416-1,291.
Republicans went into the election assured three seats, while Democrats were guaranteed six seats, meaning the battle for control was fought over 14 seats.
In addition to losing the District 21 seat, Republicans lost in District 8, where Laura Petit, an Independence Party member who ran as a Democrat, defeated Ira Werner, an Independence Party member who ran as a Republican, for the seat vacated by Republican Carl Belfiglio.
But the GOP picked up seats in District 2, in Saugerties, where Republican Joseph Maloney defeated incumbent Democrat Chris Allen; and in District 7, in the city of Kingston, where Democratic incumbent Jennifer Schwartz-Berky fell to Republican Brian Woltman.
With all races now decided, the breakdown will remain 12 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
Ronk said he’s “very impressed” with the new class of legislators and said that, working together, he believes legislators “can leave Ulster County better than we found it.”