The Local Elections Showdown: Warwick’s Wars of Anonymity

By Jason O. Klett

Local elections may not grab as many headlines as their national counterparts, but they can be just as intense, divisive, and intriguing. At the local level, we witness a microcosm of the grand political theater, complete with all the fun attributes of high-stakes politics. Contested elections at the local level bring about lawn sign theft, smear campaigns, targeted deceiving mailers, scandals involving candidates, past-digging, and a taste of the drama we see on a larger scale.

In May of this year, a well-funded and anonymous smear campaign was launched against School Board candidates Angel Maysonett and Adrienne Tveter.  Flyers arrived in the mail showing the faces of the candidates as puppets on the strings of a shadow figure labeled “Moms For Liberty.”  The headline of the card read “Vote Against Us On Tuesday, May 16th.”  The potentially thousands of mailers that were sent out to Warwick residents did not name who or what organization was leading the initiative or who paid the costly expenses for the printing and postage.  A return address simply listed a P.O. Box from a small town in Alaska.  Neither of the candidates were members of the Moms For Liberty organization.                         

In the age of digital campaigns and social media, targeted mailers might seem like relics of the past. However, such tactics are especially effective among less tech-savvy demographics. Local residents find themselves bombarded by an avalanche of these dubious leaflets, leaving them questioning whom they can trust.

This election season, a scathing video has been circulating throughout Warwick which reviews the behavior and statements of the various candidates running under Christine Stage’s Democratic Party of Warwick. 

The video, found at www.warwickdems.org, summarizes the alleged multiple accusations of “racism” Stage’s candidates have lodged against the citizenry of Warwick in the last few years.  Such examples include the charges of “racism” against the Warwick Volunteer Fire Department and the voting public in general.  

Narrated by the voices of two women, the video goes on to speculate on the candidacy of Stage’s current candidate for Warwick Town Justice, Elizabeth Cassidy.   The video, with hundreds of views, is the latest example of anonymous media wars being waged on both sides of the political aisle in our town.  

In both cases, anonymous operatives clearly attempt to accomplish a political goal without their identities being made known.  However, in the case of the Warwick School Board race, such operatives were also able to coordinate the release of a negative article by the left-leaning national publication The Daily Beast, tactically published a day before the Warwick School Board election.  The piece accused retired NYPD police officer and Warwick Valley School Board candidate Angel Maysonette of, unsurprisingly, “racism.”  Though the operatives behind this campaign did their best to conceal their identities, sources of funding, and connection toThe Daily Beast, Warwick residents were left speculating who could have coordinated and financed such an effort.

While local elections might lack the glitz and glamour of presidential campaigns, they are not without their share of drama, intrigue, and absurdity. In local elections, nothing is forgotten, especially the past. Candidates often find themselves answering for decisions they made in their youth, statements they once uttered, or actions they took in a different political climate. Local journalists, activists, or even opponents are quick to dig through the archives, uncovering forgotten deeds, quotes, votes, or affiliations that can prove politically damning. It’s a reminder that, in local politics, you are only as good as your last election – and your last mistake.

Contested elections at the local level remind us that politics is not confined to the national stage. It’s happening in our own backyards, shaping the immediate future of our communities. While the antics may seem comical at times, they underscore the importance of active civic engagement and the need for local residents to be well-informed voters. In the end, local politics may be gritty, contentious, and sometimes downright absurd, but it’s where democracy truly hits home.