Hudson Valley voters head to the polls

Democrat Ellen Jaffee was all smiles while casting her ballot at the United Methodist Church in Suffern Tuesday. The first-term assemblywoman is hoping to head back to Albany to fight high property taxes. ?The issue of property tax and the concerns of residents and their property taxes is a constant theme and I look forward to my second term and continuing to tackle that particular issue,? says Jaffee.Jaffee's challenger Chris Sampson voted at the nearby Margetts School in Chestnut Ridge. The current Ramapo town clerk says he would be a better leader for the 95th Assembly District.?I think we agree to a large extent politically and policy wise, what we differ in is our willingness and ability to take a leadership position on issues that are particularly important here in Rockland County,? says Sampson.Democrat Carl Wright is facing his first opponent for mayor in the village of Sloatsburg. Wright believes his last two terms speak for themselves.?Our community has achieved much in the last eight years and they know what can be achieved when we are working as a team,? says Wright.Marino Fontana, however, is a new face to politics. The Republican mayoral candidate says it?s time for other voices to be heard in the village?We need to keep a true democracy and that's what I'm pushing for with the winning of this primary is to push for a true democracy,? says Fontana.It's now up to the voters to decide.