Political Bellwether

Warwick has been called a political “bellwether.” Bellwether refers to the practice of a shepherd placing a bell around the neck of a ram that leads a flock of sheep. The shepherd could tell which way the flock was moving, when out of sight, by listening to the sound of the bell. Today, bellwether is used as a political metaphor, indicating a place or area that represents, and can predict the electoral results of, a bigger area (a state or nation). So, how and in what ways is Warwick on the political forefront? What can Warwick tell of us about the so-called “red wave” in next week’s midterm elections?

Let’s take a look at recent political developments in the Village of Warwick. In September of this year, Warwick Village Trustee Corey Bachman abandoned his seat and moved out of New York. Once across state lines, he posted a curious message on his Facebook page. In capital letters he declared “F*CK WARWICK.” What followed was a sad and tangled list of grievances and insults directed at the people and Mayor Newhard specifically.

Corey Bachman had only been a resident of Warwick for two years when he first attempted to run for local office. Christine Stage, who is Chair of the Warwick Democratic Party had tried, unsuccessfully, to get him elected to the Warwick Town Council in 2019. Months later, in early 2020, Corey then ran for Warwick Village Trustee. Though Village Trustee candidates run without a political party affiliation, Christine Stage’s party machine was fully active in that race.

Christine Stage’s Recording Secretary, Lauren Vitkovsky, submitted an official challenge to the paperwork of Corey’s primary threat, Mary Collura, in getting onto the ballot. Ms. Collura’s paperwork was submitted to the Orange County Board of Elections in Goshen where Stage’s party Vice Chair, Susan MacDonald is employed. The challenge to Ms. Collura was submitted right at the application’s deadline, thus effectively preventing her from addressing any errors on the paperwork and resubmitting. Many locals surmised that this effort was coordinated between Ms. MacDonald and Ms.Vitkovsky, who both serve on the same Democrat party committee. Of course, such challenges need to be notarized, which was done by none other than Christine Stage. So much for non-political races, huh?

So, after getting his competition removed from the ballot, Christine Stage successfully got Corey Bachman elected as Village trustee. However, in light of Corey’s sudden, expletive-laced departure, can we really call Christine Stage’s efforts “successful?”

In 2021, Ms. Stage ran her “Sergeant at Arms,” Greg Gallucio for Warwick Town Council. Though only having lived in Warwick a few years (like Corey), Greg made a name for himself decrying the racism and bigotry here in Warwick. He became our very own AOC (NY Congresswoman Alexandrea Ocasio-Cortez). Predictably, his loss last November was crushing.

Or, take Christine Stage’s Treasurer, Patricia McMillan, who ran with Corey in 2019 for the two Warwick Town Council seats. Ms. McMillan gained dubious notoriety by suggesting that the Warwick Volunteer Fire Department was racist. After her loss, she railed against the racism she believes she encountered in campaigning. “And I got some of that – some of the coded racist stuff,” she declared to the Warwick Advertiser. Though she admitted that there were no blatant slurs said to her, she did, however, interpret questions like “Why are you coming to my door?” as being “racially charged.”

It appears as though Ms. Stage has almost made it a sport, an odd personal challenge, to see if she can get untalented and angry neophytes into elected office, people who seem to have nothing positive to say about the place we live in. Many people went on to challenge Corey with statements like “Why would you say that about Warwick? I love this town.” However, we should ask something similar to Christine Stage: Why do you continually field candidates who have negative and untrue things to say about Warwick? Why do you keep picking people who hate the town to act as its representatives? However, might we ask the same questions of the national Democrats?

Is Corey our canary in the coal mine? Or, perhaps using a better animal metaphor, is he a rat jumping ship (before any of the sailors become aware that the thing is sinking?) Does Corey’s less-than-gracious departure portend disaster, not only of the ideologically and morally bankrupt Warwick Democrat party, but the national party as well? Does he realize that there will be consequences for all politicians who run on racial division in the absence of real policies? What does Corey know that we don’t? Is Warwick an accurate litmus test for where the nation is as a whole? We will all find out next week.

Christine Stage (far right) celebrating Corey’s victory with (counter-clockwise) Eileen Patterson, Lauren Vitkovsky, unknown, Susan MacDonald, Corey Bachman and unknown.