There are approximately 179 local positions up for election in Steuben County this year, according to the county board of elections.
Elected offices on the ballot include county legislators, town supervisors, council members, alderman positions, town clerks, highway superintendents and town justices.
Though the election is not until November, candidates interested in running for local offices have begun canvassing for signatures to get on the ballot using designating petitions. These petitions are among the first steps to running for elected office.
Designating petitions are used for candidates affiliated with a political party. In New York state, there are only four designating parties: Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Working Families.
WSKG is following the election cycle. Below is a rundown of some of the positions open for election:
Steuben County Legislature
Eight of the 17 county legislature seats are up for election this year.
Democratic Legislator Hilda Lando represents the city of Corning and is running for reelection in District 2.
Republican Legislator Nicholas Pelham, who represents the town of Bath, and Republican Legislator James Kuhl, who represents the town of Erwin, are both also running for reelection in Districts 3 and 12, respectively.
Three Republican legislators will not seek reelection. They include Gary Swackhamer, who represents the city of Hornell; Wendy Lozo, who represents the towns of Cameron, Canisteo and Thurston; and Carol Ferratella, who represents the towns of Caton, Corning and Hornby.
Hornby town supervisor, Republican Justin Eberlin, said he is running for Ferratella’s District 13 seat.
Two additional legislative seats in Districts 5 and 10 are on the ballot this year. WSKG reached out to the incumbents in those districts, Republicans Michael Hann and Frederick Potter, and did not hear back if they plan to run.
Steuben County Democratic Committee Chair Margie Lawler said she is “aware of at least one Democrat running for legislature against an incumbent, but I don't want to get ahead of the candidate as she petitions and before she announces.”
Lawler added that the committee is “still working on recruiting for other seats, regardless of whether the incumbent is seeking reelection or not.”
Steuben County Republican Committee Chair Joseph Sempolinski said there are candidates currently circulating designating petitions for all seats where the incumbent has decided not to run.
“Until the petition window is done, I [can’t] say for sure how many candidates will qualify in each particular district,” said Sempolinski.
Corning City Council
The Corning city council seats for Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 are up for election.
Democratic incumbents Jeffrey Clark and Diane Telehany, who represent Wards 1 and 3 respectively, will seek reelection.
Republican incumbent Mark ReSue, who represents Ward 7, announced his reelection campaign in February.
It is not clear if Frank Muccini, the Republican incumbent for Ward 5, is running for reelection. WSKG reached out to the councilmember and did not hear back.
Corning City Mayor
The city of Corning Planning Commissioner Pam Walker is running for mayor as the Democratic candidate.
Currently, Walker is the chair of the city’s comprehensive plan committee, which is working to update the city’s 23-year-old plan that will establish land use policy and guidelines for official decision-making.
The city’s current mayor, Democrat William Boland, said he is not seeking reelection. Boland said Walker is an “extraordinary individual.”
Boland, who has served as mayor for eight years, ends his mayoral term at the end of 2025. During the 2024 election, city residents rejected a city ballot proposal that would have extended the mayoral term from two years to four.
It is not clear if there will be a Republican challenger to Walker. WSKG reached out to the county Republican Committee and did not hear back in time for this report.
Schuyler County District Attorney
Longtime Schuyler County District Attorney Joseph Fazzary, a Republican, will retire at the end of the year.
Fazzary served in the same county DA’s office for over three decades—mainly as the lead prosecutor.
Last year, he created the Justice Center of the Southern Tier as a victim services and advocacy organization working across multiple counties.
Fazzary said he has no immediate plans for his next chapter except to “take some time off and enjoy his family,” according to a press release.
Schuyler County’s current Chief Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Hourihan, also a Republican, said he plans to run for the lead prosecutor position, which is up for election this year.
Four county legislator positions and the county sheriff’s position are on the 2025 ballot as well.
Candidates can pick up designating petition packets from their local boards of elections, in person or online.
Collecting petition signatures began Feb. 25. The last day to file petitions is April 3.
Primary elections will be held on June 24 and the general election is Nov. 4.