Bourke likely winner in GOP primary for sheriff; 99-vote lead with 139 absentees
Photo by Tom Rivers: Chris Bourke waves to people last Thursday during the parade at the Kendall Fireman’s Carnival.
ALBION – Chris Bourke, the undersheriff of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, is the likely winner of the Republican primary for sheriff. He has a 99-vote lead over Brett Sobieraski.
There are 139 absentees ballots out and they will be counted on Monday beginning at 8:45 a.m. at the Board of Elections.
After the votes were counted today from the 10 towns in Orleans County, Bourke had 1,793 votes to 1,694 for Sobieraski.
Both were seeking to succeed Randy Bower as sheriff, who decided against running after one four-year term in office.
Bourke, 57, of Carlton has a 35-year career in the Sheriff’s Office, starting as a part-time corrections officer in the jail and working his way up as a deputy and lieutenant.
Sobieraski, a Kent resident, is a sergeant in the Rochester Police Department. He started his career in Lockport and has worked the past 26 years with the Rochester Police Department. He supervises the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team and is a team leader on the SWAT Team.
Bourke also has the Conservative and Independence in the Nov. 5 election.
Town races: Another nail-biter in Murray between Sidonio and Miller, while Root wins in Shelby, Napoli victorious in Ridgeway and Chalker tops in Clarendon
Here are the results for the town races in Orleans County.
Republican Party
• Clarendon: Highway Superintendent — Tracy Bruce Chalker, 202 votes, and Robert Freida, 132.
• Murray: Town Supervisor — Robert Miller, 254 votes, and Joseph Sidonio, 255.
• Murray: Town Councilman (2 positions) — Neil Valentine, 343 votes; Lloyd Christ Jr., 279 votes; and Dirk Lammes, 223.
• Ridgeway: Town Supervisor — Brian Napoli, 399 votes; and David Stalker, 85.
• Ridgeway: Town Councilman (2 positions) — Mary Woodruff, 317 votes; Duane Payne, 273; and Sarah Fisher, 201.
• Shelby: Highway Superintendent — Dale Root, 222 votes; and Michael Fuller, 181.
Independence Party
• Murray: Town Supervisor — Robert Miller, 5; and 6 write-in votes to be counted in the coming days.
• Murray: Town Councilman (2 positions) — Neil Valentine, 7 votes; Lloyd Christ Jr., 3; and 5 write-in votes to be counted in the coming days.
• Delegates to the 8th Judicial District, 144th Assembly District (Shelby in Orleans County) — Darla Schultz Bubar, 3 votes; and Ciara Haylett, 3.
• Alternate Delegates to the 8th Judicial District, 144th Assembly District (Shelby in Orleans County) — Brian Michel, 3 votes; and David Haylett Jr., 3 votes.
