It’s a rare thing to find three experienced candidates vying for an elected position but Town of Montgomery residents appear to be in luck: three candidates for town supervisor who can arguably list qualifications for the top position. That wasn’t always the case.

Of the last three Montgomery Town Supervisors - (current incumbent) Rod Winchell, Mike Hayes and Susan Cockburn – none had ever held an elected office before winning the election. Two years ago, in fact, town residents had a choice between two candidates who had never held an elected office, as Republican Winchell defeated F. Brian Paz, the nominee of the town’s Democratic Committee.

Two years ago, the towns Republican Committee withdrew its support for Hayes, its own incumbent to nominate business owner Winchell. This year they again appear to have rejected their own candidate.

Winchell, who will soon have a full term under his belt, is seeking election to his second term in office. Former Walden Mayor Brian Maher, who now has the backing of the town’s Republican committee, is challenging him for the Republican nomination. The two will square off in the June 25 Republican Primary.

The other candidate is Democrat Dennis Leahy, mayor of Maybrook. He has held that position for 11 years, and ran unsuccessfully for town supervisor in 2015.

As noted above, all three candidates can lay some claim to being the head of a municipal government. All three can claim a thorough knowledge of the Town of Montgomery and all three have addressed, at least once, the complexities of a municipal budget. We should be in a better place than we were in prior years.

The Town of Montgomery, in 2019, is a very different place than it was in the 1960s and 70s. It is far less rural and has a deeper infrastructure to maintain. It has a comprehensive plan in need of a complete overhaul and the challenge o f maintaining and promoting smart growth awaits the winner in November.

We look forward to a spirited and positive campaign, and a solid flow of ideas.