Four candidates will battle for two village trustee seats Wednesday in the latest challenge to one-party rule in the politically divided community of Kiryas Joel, NY.
Opposition leaders have been itching for a board seat since trying unsuccessfully to unseat the longtime mayor and two allies in 2001 — the first contested municipal election in a place where such votes were a mere formality for a quarter-century.
They also put up candidates in the 2004 and 2005 elections, but lost both times to the village’s majority voting bloc. Because of the way board terms are staggered in Kiryas Joel, no local votes were held in the intervening years.
This time around, the two sides are competing for two of four trustee seats, each of which carries a four-year term.
On the establishment ticket are incumbent Jacob Freund, who’s seeking his second term, and newcomer Moses Goldstein. Trustee Baruch Markowitz, who joined the board with Freund in 2004, didn’t seek re-election.
The minority faction has put up Salomon Feder — who ran unsuccessfully for trustee in 2001 and 2004 — and Israel Holtzer.
Even if both opposition candidates win, the establishment would still control the board, since Mayor Abraham Wieder would cast tie-breaking votes.
Wieder and two trustees face re-election next year. Three years ago, their ticket won a hotly contested race in which 86 percent of the village’s 5,800 voters cast ballots. Wieder beat his challenger by roughly 500 votes in that election.
Wieder and his supporters are aligned with the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel, while their opponents are loyal to the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg.
(Source: Times Herald Record)
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5 Responses
The reason why the minority has such a big num. by the last elect. is because they campaign by reb arons supporters and promise hosing etc., but if the campaign should be between reb aron and reb z’’l supporters then reb aron can have it with min. 75% like it was by must votes in k.j.
I don’t think so, the way politics go by chasidim, and especially in satmer, no Aron supporter would vote for Zalmen’s nominees, and vice versa, no Zalmen supporter would vote for Aron’s nominees.
there is a clear message being delivered by such a close turnout. reality.
But the fact wasn’t so, because the minority candidat explain that he is not against reb aron, he is only an askon witch want to bring affordable housing etc.
loyalyid, KJ’s population is now over 25,000, percentage wise the number of 5800 voters is approx. 20 percent accordingly, so the first poster is correct, if the opposition has only less then 2,000 votes that doesn’t reflect any significent message.
The majority won with a landslide (about 1000 votes) 3200 against 2200