Election night ended with only two of three races for Ontario County Board of Supervisors representing the City of Geneva decided. Incumbents Dom Vedora and Lou Guard retained their seats in Districts 1 and 2. But the District 3 incumbent, Gregory Bendzlowicz, is tied at 184 votes each with Tamarie Cataldo. Cataldo is a newcomer to running for public office and she says she’s on pins and needles.
“It’s very nervous to put yourself out there in the beginning anyway. Waiting for the results to come in, there’s so much fear and anxiety that goes along with that. Having to wait one more week is just super hard.”
The race is going to be decided on 15 absentee ballots, which will be counted on November 14th. Ballots were cast by only a fifth of voters in the district, which is comprised of City of Geneva Wards 5 and 6. That’s fewer than in the other districts. Cataldo says she encountered distrust and disconnect with government on key issues when she spoke with potential voters.
“Nobody will really represent me and my needs. I’ve had a lot of housing issues come up in the subsidized housing areas. Definitely the landfill, people are worried about that. People are worried about not having a grocery store down in Ward 6. They have problems traveling. They want better bus servicing. Those are some key issues, I think.”
Even with the stress of the campaign, waiting another week for results, and dealing with a demoralized electorate, Cataldo is not discouraged in seeking public office.
“It actually energized me because I am the kind of person, I always go for the underdog. I feel the same way. I struggle myself. It just makes me want to get out there and give them something to believe in again.”
Incumbent Ontario County Supervisor Gregory Bendzlowicz did not respond to a request for an interview for this story.
