Lori Fontanes is headed to Rye City Council.
With the counting of absentee and affidavit ballots complete as of yesterday, Democrat Lori Fontanes maintains a 132 vote advantage over her GOP challenger Matt Fahey. While the local Board of Elections has 25 days to certify after the general election and additional overseas and military ballots have a deadline of November 21st, it is all but statistically impossible for Fahey to turn the tables. The current unofficial vote count is Fontanes 51% with 3,202 votes versus Fahey 49% with 3,070 votes.
The community should feel very good about the high voter turnout, Fontanes said on Wednesday afternoon. “I will do my absolute best to live up to voter and community faith in me by continuing to listen, work hard & collaborate on best solutions with my fellow council members and most of all, fulfill my campaign promise to be the citizens’ “voice at City Hall”.”
If you want an idea on how Fontanes will govern, read Q&A: Council Candidate Lori Fontanes.
Councilman Josh Nathan, a Democrat, welcomed Fontanes “I look forward to working with Lori on the City Council. She brings valuable knowledge from her extensive track record of volunteer service in Rye, good temperament for thoughtful dialogue on the dais, and cares deeply about the needs of our residents and neighborhoods.”
The local political party chairs also congratulated Fontanes on her run. “I know Lori will be a great addition to the City Council and will bring integrity and commitment in serving Rye residents,” said Rye City Democratic Committee Chair Danielle Tagger-Epstein.
And from the other aisle, Rye City Republican Chair Elaine DiCostanzo said “The Rye City Republican Committee congratulates Lori on her win and wants to thank Matt for his dedication and hard work on behalf of the Rye community. We were gratified by all of the support Matt received in this very close race and look forward to building on our momentum and continuing to work collaboratively in the coming year to ensure sustained strong and effective governance for Rye.”
Note: story was updated 11-17
Describing Josh Nathan as “the other Democrat on the Council” is inaccurate.” Deputy Mayor Emily Hurd and Council member Julie Souza are lifelong Democrats.