TUPPER LAKE – Seventy-nine town Republicans came out to the party’s caucus at Aaron Maddox Hall Tuesday to choose their candidates for the Nov. 3 election.

The members of the party seemed pleased with their incumbent elected officials. Both town Clerk Laurie Fuller and town Highway Superintendent Bill Dechene were nominated without opposition for additional four-year terms. The party even endorsed incumbent town Justice Leonard Young, a Democrat who received the town Democratic Party’s approval at its caucus Monday, for an additional four-year term.

The caucus nominated four residents for two open four-year terms on the town council after announcing Councilman Rick Skiff would not seek re-election. In a secret ballot vote, town Republicans chose Tracy Luton, who received 49 votes, and Mary Fontana, who received 40 votes, as their candidates. Luton and Fontana defeated fellow nominees Carlos Gonzalez, who received 28 votes, and Eric Shaheen, who received 26 votes.

On Monday, Tupper’s Democratic Party failed to field candidates for clerk, highway superintendent, or the two seats on the council after incumbent Councilwoman Kathy Lefebvre announced she would not seek reelection. That all but guarantees the Republican nominees will win in November.

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Councilwomen

The party’s candidates for town council briefly spoke with members of the press after securing their nominations.

“I love Tupper Lake,” Luton said. “I love my town, and I want it to succeed.

“I just want Tupper Lake to prosper. I want the (Adirondack Club and Resort project) to go through. I want us Tupper Lakers to be on the ball and stick together.”

“I’m excited to have some youth on the town (board),” Fontana said. “I hope that we can, all of us together, improve everything about Tupper Lake.

“(I want to) encourage local business to come to the area, to encourage tourists to come to the area and enjoy the town.”

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Skiff

Before the event officially began, caucus Chairman Jim Ellis read a letter from Skiff explaining that his decision not to seek re-election hinged largely on the demands of his job as a corrections officer.

“This decision was not made without a lot of careful consideration and discussion,” Skiff wrote. “In addition to my outside work, I am going to spend as much time as I can with my loving wife and son, who have always come first. Although I will no longer be with the board, I will continue to assist the advancement of this community in any way possible.”

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Election

On Monday, village Democrats nominated Ron LaScala for a seat on the Board of Trustees. Last week, village Republicans nominated incumbent Paul Maroun for mayor, incumbent Leon LeBlanc for trustee, incumbent Rick Donah for trustee and incumbent Chris Delair for justice.