Andy Stewart Pulls Ahead by Three Votes

After weeks of court hearings and challenges to absentee ballots, Democratic incumbent Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart has pulled ahead by three votes in his race against GOP challenger Walter Wettje, with 12 ballots still in limbo. The incumbent supervisor is seeking to disqualify all 12 of these ballots for various reasons.

Election night’s unofficial tally had Wettje ahead by 36 votes, but absentee ballots had atrophied that number to 18 by last week, and with only 54 absentee ballots left to count, Wettje all but declared victory. His victory lap was premature, however, as the fate of the election will now likely come down to how many of the 12 uncounted ballots the courts will allow to be opened and counted.

The next hearing in the case will be heard Monday.