Pittsford town Supervisor Bill Smith turned back a challenge from Town Board member Cathy Koshykar on Tuesday, according to unofficial election returns.
The victory was a rare bright spot for Republicans in eastside suburban races Tuesday.
Smith secured a seventh term in the now Democratic-majority town. The Republican leader first was elected town supervisor in 2013, and has been a fixture in local and county government for more than 30 years.
Koshykar has been a Town Board member since 2020.
Democrats, though, won both Town Board seats on the ballot – and, come January, will now hold all four.
Pittsford had long been a Republican stronghold, but it crossed a tipping point in 2017. Two things happened that year: Democrats gained a slight enrollment advantage over the GOP and got a foothold on Town Board, winning two seats. They since won a third.
Democrats now have a 2,800-voter enrollment advantage.
Similar political shifts have been playing out in other east-side suburbs in recent years, including Penfield and Perinton, where Democrats also unseated incumbent supervisors in historically Republican towns.
Below are the results for Pittsford:
Pittsford supervisor
Cathy Koshykar | Democratic, Working Families — 48%
William Smith Jr. | Republican, Conservative — 52%
Pittsford Town Board (2)
Michael Arcuri | Democratic, Working Families — 26.83%
Cha Ron Sattler-Leblanc | Democratic, Working Families — 25.18%
Kim Taylor | Republican, Conservative — 24.82%
Scott Wallman | Republican, Conservative — 23.15%
Pittsford town justice
Rich Murajda | Democratic, Working Families — 54%
John Bernacki Jr. | Republican, Conservative — 46%
