Two residents competing for GOP line in Hartland town clerk primary

Thomas Tedesco , Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·2 min read

Two residents are competing in a Republican primary for the Hartland town clerk’s post.

Current town clerk Caitlin Clark faces Brandy Bedford for the GOP line on the November general election ballot.

Clark, 35, was appointed to the post by town supervisor Margaret Zaepfel in January following the resignation of clerk Rachel Kushner prior to last year’s general election.

Clark joined Zaepfel and town board members Elizabeth Neadow and Sean Walp in their campaigns for office following last year’s primary, and decided to run her own write-in campaign with the trio because she aligned with their stance of stark opposition to Ridge View Solar Center, a proposed 350-megawatt utility spanning 2,000 acres leased by willing landowners.

Clark, a Buffalo native, moved to Hartland three years ago with her husband and children and was an associate vice president with Key Bank prior to being appointed town clerk.

“I did learn that a lot of my background kind of lined up very well with the position and it kind of seems to come naturally,” Clark said.

In her first few months in the post, Clark said, she has “learned a lot” about the ins and outs of being a town clerk.

“I’ve been updating our website, working on the town newsletter, so I’ve been doing a lot of things and I want to keep that momentum going,” she said.

Bedford, 37, also contends that her work experience, as an accounts payable specialist at Stark Technologies, would translate well to the town clerk’s post.

Bedford cites her “passion” for volunteering and civil service as well as the desire to give voters another option in the town clerk race.

“When it comes down to qualifications, I’ve been raised to budget finances and plan things out,” she said. “Confidentiality, transparency and timeliness are crucial to accounting. I’ve carried that through all jobs I’ve held.”

In addition to vying for the GOP line, Bedford has secured the Conservative party line on the November ballot.

Whoever wins in this year’s general election will serve for three years, the remainder of Kushner’s term.