Roundup of political races

Late Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill once proclaimed that "all politics are local," and Tuesday's Election Day is about as local as politics get.

The off-year elections that happen Tuesday include six statewide referendums — check your ballot carefully because some or all of those may appear on the back of your ballot sheet.

Aside from the referendums, who is on the ballot will vary considerably depending on your locality.

Here's a roundup of the races in Monroe County:

Sheriff

The biggest race all county voters are deciding. Social activist and Green Party candidate Emily Good is using the campaign as a bully pulpit to raise questions about law enforcement and human rights issues. The incumbent is Patrick O'Flynn, who has been sheriff since 2001 and is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines.

County Court judge

Two Pittsford residents, Democrat Christopher Ciaccio of Pittsford and Republican Paul Irving, are seeking the Monroe County Court seat vacated when former Judge Frank Geraci Jr. moved to the federal bench.

Family Court judge

Incumbent Monroe County Family Court Judge Dandrea Ruhlmann, who has served on the bench for a decade, is one of four candidates vying for two judgeships. The other candidates, all lawyers, are Juan Nevarez of Pittsford on the Democratic and Working Families lines; Nathan Van Loon of Irondequoit on the Democratic and Independence lines; and James Walsh of Pittsford on the Republican and Conservative lines. Ruhlman, who lives in Brighton, is on the Republican, Conservative, Working Families and Independence lines.

Mayor

It's probably the most exciting and perplexing race this year, but only city residents can vote in it.

Incumbent Thomas Richards withdrew from the campaign after losing the September Democratic Party primary and a death in his family, but supporters have been trying valiantly to gain traction for a campaign without a candidate on the Independence and Working Families lines.

The upset winner of the Democratic Primary, City Council President Lovely Warren, has turned the tables and is now drawing most of the attention and endorsements in the campaign. Her only actively campaigning opponent is Green Party candidate Alex White.

City Council

Having whittled down a full slate of City Council candidates in the Democratic primary, voters head to the polls on Tuesday facing an equally sizable field vying for five open seats.

All incumbents are seeking re-election, joined on the ballot by challengers from the Green and Working Families parties.

Council member Carolee Conklin is running for a third and, she said, final term, alongside Council Vice President Dana Miller and members Matt Haag, Jackie Ortiz and Loretta Scott.

The Green Party challengers are David Atias, Dorothy Paige and Drew Langdon. Local activist the Rev. Marlowe Washington is on the Working Families line. Teacher Ann Lewis is running a write-in campaign.

City school board

Choose three among these eight: incumbent José Cruz, Democratic, Independence and Working Families; Howard Eagle, Freedom Party; incumbent Cynthia Elliott, Democratic; Ronald Hall, Freedom; Mia Hodgins, Republican; Candice Lucas, Independence and Working Families; Lori Thomas, Green Party; incumbent Van White, Democratic, Independence and Working Families.

City Court judge

No contest here. Two candidates are unopposed for two seats. City Court Judge John Elliott, 52, is seeking election to his second term. The other candidate is Caroline Morrison, who now serves as deputy bureau chief for the Local Court Bureau in the District Attorney's Office. Morrison, 41, is seeking a seat being vacated by retiring City Court Judge John Schwartz. Both are on three different lines: Democratic, Working Families and Independence.

County legislator, 17th District

In a district that mostly represents southern Irondequoit, Democrat Joseph Morelle Jr. and Republican Edward McClenathan are vying to represent voters. Morelle was appointed to the seat 10 months ago. Both are Irondequoit residents. Morelle is a Wilmorite leasing agent; McClenathan is a lawyer.

County legislator, 19th District

The district comprises parts of Greece and Parma. Vying to represent it are Greece's current receiver of taxes, Republican Kathleen M. Taylor; and Democrat Mike Bertolone, a retired sheriff's deputy.

Greece

Current Supervisor John Auberger is prohibited from another run by term limits. Voters are being asked to choose between a sitting state assemblyman and a former Monroe County legislator in a race that has generated conflicting charges of false advertising.

Vying for the four-year seat are Republican Bill Reilich, who's served in the Assembly since 2002 and is the Monroe County Republican Party chairman, and Democrat Dick Beebe, a network operations coordinator at Iberdrola USA who lost a bid for re-election to the legislature in 2011.

Voters also will cast ballots in Greece for four Town Board seats, three town justices and receiver of taxes.

In addition to Reilich, the Republican candidates are: Andrew Conlon, Mike Barry, Brett Granville and Kirk Morris for Town Board; Gino Nitti, David "Mike" Barry Sr. and Vincent Campbell for town justice; and Rick Antelli for receiver of taxes.

The Democratic slate, in addition to Beebe, comprises: Rita Garretson, Wendy Wright, Tim Holler and Norma Cummings for Town Board; Gregg Redmond and Nickolas Clidas for town justice; and Ellen Oberton for receiver of taxes.

Pittsford

Republicans have had a decades-long grip on town government, and some upstart Democrats are trying to change that. For suprevisor, the Democrats are putting up Craig Raisner to challenge William Smith, a fixture in Pittsford politics. For the two open seats on the Town Board, the Republicans are putting up current Deputy Supervisor Jared Lusk and Mary Gehl Doyle. Democrats are countering with candidates Pamela Cooper-Vince and Terry Steg. There are only two candidates for the two open town justice positions, William K. Taylor and John Bernacki Jr.

Henrietta

Jack Moore's September victory in the Republican primary turned the race for supervisor on its head. It made Michael Yudelson the only incumbent supervisor in the county running for re-election who failed to capture a major-party line. Yudelson recently changed his party affiliation to Democratic, but it came too late to get him on the Democratic ballot line. Moore, who owns Gro-Moore Farms on East Henrietta Road, is running on the Republican line and Yudelson on the Conservative and Independence lines.

Two candidates are running unopposed for Town Board: Kenneth H. Breese and Janet B. Zinck.

Irondequoit

The election for Town Board and supervisor matches the Republican slate against three untested Democratic challengers who believe they'd fare better at it.

Current Supervisor Mary Joyce D'Aurizio is running for a new two-year term against Democrat Adam Bello. Paul Marasco is seeking re-election to the board and is joined by fellow lawyer William Brongo, who hopes to replace Deborah Essley.

Bello's running mates are Dave Seeley and Lorie Barnum. Town Board members serve four-year terms.

Two other Town Board members, Irena Skrobach and John Perticone, are both Democrats and not up for re-election. If Bello's slate wins, Irondequoit would join Brighton as the only fully Democratic town boards in Monroe County.

Elsewhere

Campaigns outside Monroe County of possible interest include a combative race for sheriff in Livingston County, where James M. Szczesniak is running on the conservative line against Republican Thomas J. Dougherty. Longtime Sheriff John York is retiring.

Polling time

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday for Election Day.

Voting information

If you aren't sure where to vote, or need other information, go to the Monroe County Board of Elections website at www2.monroecounty.gov/elections-index.php or call (585) 753-1550. There is lots of helpful information at the website, including demonstrations of how to vote and a search application to find your polling site.

If you are outside of Monroe County, check with your county's Board of Elections.

Voting problems

State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman's office has set up an Election Day hotline to help ensure that eligible voters are able to cast an effective ballot in the Nov. 5 general election.

Voters should call the office's hotline at (800) 771-7755 or email http://civil.rights@ag.ny.gov at any time between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Election Day to report issues or problems at the polls.

Includes reporting by staff writers Gary Craig, Sean Dobbin, Tiffany Lankes, Meaghan M. McDermott, Justin Murphy, David Riley and Brian Sharp.

Who's covering what?

Get the latest updates on Twitter from the Democrat and Chronicle reporters covering the 2013 election. Here's a rundown of who to follow:

Brian Sharp (@SharpROC): Mayoral and City Council races

David Riley (@Rilzd): Monroe County Legislature and City Council race

Tiffany Lankes (@TiffanyLankes): Rochester school board race

Meaghan McDermott (@meagmc): West side races

Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy): East side races

Sean Dobbin (@Sean_Dobbin): East and west side races, Livingston County Sheriff's race

Jon Hand (jonhand1): Monroe County Sheriff race

Gary Craig (@gcraig1): County Court, Family Court, City Court races