It’s been a wild ride, but the Salina Town Justice race is finally over—and the winner is incumbent Judge Andrew Piraino.
Piraino beat out Judge Anthony LaValle by a margin of 3,453 to 2,886, bringing an end to a race that included two Republicans running in a Democratic primary, accusations of judicial misconduct by both sides and swirls of rumor and innuendo. Piraino has held the seat for 24 years, while LaValle is the current Village of Liverpool Justice.
The race really began this summer, when LaValle, a Republican, earned the Democratic nomination for the town justice seat. The Salina Republican Committee, meanwhile, had already endorsed Piraino, as had the Independent and Conservative parties. Piraino sought to secure the Democratic line, as well, and the two candidates squared off in the Democratic primary in September. LaValle won that election, managing to hold onto a line for himself on the ballot.
A month later, Salina Republican Committee Chairman Bill Tassone filed an official complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct alleging that LaValle “has unethically increased fines and surcharges I order to eliminate the court’s operating deficit.” He also complained to the commission about LaValle sending out a campaign ad picturing himself in his judicial robes standing in the village courtroom, saying it violated the commission’s “Opinion 05-101, dated Sept. 8, 2005.”
Democratic Committee Chairman Chris Shepard said Tassone’s complaint was “pouting” in response to a mailer Shepard had sent to Salina Democrats in September reminding them that Piraino had been charged in 2011 with violating judicial rules nearly 800 times by overcharging for some traffic fines and undercharging for others, according to the State Judicial Commission.
For their part, the candidates themselves said they tried to remain above the fray.
Other races in the town of Salina were far less contentious. Supervisor Mark Nicotra, First Ward Councilor Colleen Gunnip, Second Ward Councilor V. James Magnarelli, Fourth Ward Councilor Michael Del Vecchio and tax receiver Alicia MacCollum all ran unopposed. Vote totals were as follows:
Nicotra (R): 5,164
Gunnip (R): 1,568
Magnarelli (D): 1,193
DelVecchio (R): 1,161
MacCollum (R): 5,217
The only contested race on the board was for the Third Ward seat, where Jerry Ciciarelli, the incumbent Republican, handily beat Democratic challenger Timothy Haas by a margin of 778 to 516.
In the legislature, Republican Judy Tassone, also running without an opponent, earned 3,751 votes for the Fourth District, and in the Fifth District seat, Republican incumbent Deb Cody defeated Democrat Bryan Seamans by a vote of 2,603 to 2,133. The Fourth District covers parts of the towns of Salina and Geddes, while the Fifth District includes parts of the towns of Salina, DeWitt and Cicero.
