Hannah Black to replace Soto as Dutchess Democratic Elections Commissioner

Ryan Santistevan
Poughkeepsie Journal

Following a historic election,with unprecedented hurdles, Dutchess County is expected to welcome a new Democratic elections commissioner on Jan. 1.

Hannah Black, the county Legislature's minority leader, will replace Elizabeth Soto. The county's Democratic Committee voted in favor of recommending Hyde Park's representative over the incumbent by a 2-to-1 margin Monday. 

Hannah Black, candidate for Dutchess County Legislature District 4.

"I am super thrilled that they supported me," Black said. "They supported me based on what I ran on, which was safer election polling sites, reducing wait times during early voting and promptly answering the phones at the Board of Elections because this year, they did not do so."

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The county Democratic Caucus has 30 days from Tuesday to vote in favor of appointing black Black. Eight of the 10 legislators eligible to vote have endorsed Black; she is abstaining and one legislator has said they are supporting Soto

Black will need to step down from her legislator seat. The democratic Hyde Park Town Board will find a replacement for her legislator seat. They would serve the rest of Black's term, with the option to run for the position in 2021. Black said she hopes they will replace her with another democrat. 

Soto told the Journal her role requires a tireless effort and steadfast commitment to detail. 

"The commissioner must follow the letter of the law," Soto said. "I'm proud of the work I accomplished. Under unprecedented circumstances, we led the state with well-thought-out plans and managed to safely and accurately ensure our voters couple cast their ballots by absentee, dropping off, early voting or on Election Day."

She said the Board of Elections was lawful and functional for every voter, and that she looks forward to spending her downtime with her husband and children. 

"We thank outgoing Commissioner Soto for her service and her hard work," Elisa Sumner, Dutchess' Democratic Party chairperson, said. "And we congratulate and welcome Legislator Hannah Black as our new commissioner."

Friction from fellow commissioner

The county has both a Democratic and Republican elections commissioner, who work together to make decisions regarding how elections are held and ensure they are fair for all parties. This past cycle required decisions on polling sites, early voting sites and hours, absentee ballots and adaptations required during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Soto and Republican Commissioner Erik Haight had opposing views on some of those issues, including the safety of a Red Hook polling site and whether early voting hours should be extended upon seeing some county voters wait in line for more than two hours.

Sumner said Haight "released an ugly ad hominem attack" against Black to another publication. It called into question whether he is willing to work with Black as the new democratic commissioner. 

Black said Haight made comments calling her "not bright" and "not hardworking." She said she doesn't want to entertain this statement, as it was unprofessional. 

"And chauvinistic in nature," Black said. "It really makes me wonder if that's how he treats his female employees at the BOE to be honest."

In response, Haight told the Journal, "Discussing someone's reputation of not being too bright and lazy isn't an attack. If her feelings are hurt then this isn't the right position for her."

He added that he treats everyone equally despite intelligence or work ethic and "certainly don't treat anyone differently based on their gender."

Black previously worked at the Board of Elections as an election coordinator between 2007 and 2015.  And running to be the democratic chairperson for the board was a goal for Black, but she didn't plan to run this year. Issues on the BOE democrat side prompted her to run. 

"I've helped multiple candidates from local to congressional races for the last 15 years, so I've always had an interest in the position," Black said. "It combines my passion for getting democratic candidates election and ensures voters are able to express their right to vote."

Ryan Santistevan is the breaking news reporter for the Poughkeepsie JournalJournal News and Times Herald-Record. Reach her at rsantistev@gannett.com; 845-437-4809 or follow her on Twitter, @NewsByRyan_.