Wilmington town board candidates Laura Dreissigacker Hooker, Darin Forbes, Michelle Preston and Forest “Randy” Winch discussed local issues in a packed forum last month. (Enterprise photo — Sydney Emerson)

WILMINGTON — Laura Dreissigacker Hooker was elected to the Wilmington Town Council Tuesday. The other open seat on the town council was too close to call on Election Night, but it will go to either Darin Forbes or Michelle Preston, who are both incumbents.

Unofficial results from the Essex County Board of Elections counted 628 ballots in the race. Dreissigacker Hooker won 334 votes, or about 53% of the vote count, clinching her seat. Forbes received 285, about 45% of the vote count, Preston received 278, about 44%, and Forest “Randy” Winch received 257, about 41%. These numbers are not final; they include Election Day votes, early votes and some absentee ballots. There are still about 14 unreturned absentee ballots to account for — these votes will determine whether Forbes or Preston wins the second council seat.

Dreissigacker Hooker said that her family was her greatest support during her campaign, along with the citizens of Wilmington and the candidates who ran on the same slate as her, Timothy Follos and Winch, both of whom lost their respective races.

“I’m very relieved that the campaign trail is over. It was a huge, huge learning experience and I enjoyed meeting as many people as I did,” Dreissigacker Hooker said Tuesday night. “I couldn’t have done it without a huge amount of support from the town, and Tim and Randy were huge support system. I look forward to representing the constituents that supported me.”

Dreissigacker Hooker, 43, is a Wilmington native and registered nurse who works at Adirondack Health. She ran on the independent Honesty for Wilmington party line. One of the pillars of her platform was limiting tourism and development in town. At an Oct. 18 candidate forum co-sponsored by the Enterprise and the Lake Placid News, she said that she would like Wilmington to “go back five or 10 years” or remain the same as it is now. She also supported reallocating the town’s cut of Essex County occupancy tax revenue toward town projects rather than the tourism enhancement fund.

Regulating short-term vacation rentals and securing more affordable housing for Wilmington residents was one of Dreissigacker Hooker’s priorities. She advocated for increasing fees on STRs and exploring zoning changes that would give Wilmington residents an easier path to homeownership. She also proposed the creation of community hobby groups to promote a stronger sense of camaraderie in town.

Forbes, 43, is a contractor and Wilmington native who has served on the town council for 15 years, including 14 years as deputy town supervisor. He ran on the Republican and Citizen’s Data Boy party lines.

Preston, 52, is the director of the Whiteface Visitors Bureau and has served on the town council since August 2022, when she was appointed by town Supervisor Roy Holzer to fill the unexpired term of Paula McGreevy. She is also the widow of former town Supervisor Randy Preston. She ran on the Community First party line.

Winch, 66, is a retired custodian and lifelong resident of Wilmington who ran on the People’s party line.

Forbes, Preston and Winch could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.