Two Bath village trustees are in the running for mayor, despite the results of recent party caucuses.
Trustee Mike Skelly will run on the Republican line while Trustee Donna Simonson is poised to accept the Democratic party nod.
They seek to fill the vacancy left by Mayor David Wallace, who announced last month he would step down after four terms in office.
Simonson, 62, and Skelly, 51, both sought the major parties’ endorsements at caucuses held during the past week.
The end results were “a bit like a merry-go-round,” Simonson said Wednesday.
Skelly originally won both the Democrat caucus Thursday night, and the Republican endorsement Monday night.
But Skelly said he did not know Simonson was looking for the Democrats’ support.
“I really feel Donna does a great job, and it’s good for people to have a choice,” Skelly said. “I really thought nobody else was going to run.”
Simonson said her decision to seek the Democratic endorsement was made at the last moment.
After securing the GOP nod, Skelly contacted Gary Ostrander, chairman of Bath Democrats, and declined that party’s nomination. Ostrander said the committee will meet again, and he hopes they will offer their support to Simonson.
A Haverling High School assistant principal, Skelly is a former village police officer. He first ran for trustee four years ago on an independent line called People’s Choice. He was re-elected in 2008 on the Republican line. Last year, Skelly registered as a Democrat, which takes effect after the Nov. 3 General Election.
A Democrat, Simon-son is self-employed and was elected to the board six years ago.
The two have similar ideas on the direction the board should take during the next two years, including re-establishing a commission to oversee the village-owned utility, Bath Electric Gas and Water System.
Trustees have had to supervise the utility since an earlier commission was dissolved two years ago.
Simonson, the sister-in-law of BEGWS Executive Director Matt Benesh, said she has abstained from votes dealing with the utility, and would continue to do so until a new commission is formed.
Both candidates also support building a stronger retail and business climate in the village.
“We have to take Bath into the 21st century,” Skelly said. “We need to look at how we market Bath.”
“Hundreds of thousands of people go through Bath every year,” Simonson said. “We give them no reason to stop. We never think about our assets. We never capitalize on our assets.”
For two trustee positions also vacant this spring, Republicans selected incumbent Trustee Jeannie Glass and John Stranges, and Democrats nominated Bill Austin.
