Barlet gets Conservative nomination

n Portelli, Pender win district 31 Republican committee seats Warwick - One hundred and seventeen voters. That's how many came out in total for the Conservative and Republican primaries on Tuesday. Incumbent Town of Warwick Justice Peter Barlet beat out Village of Warwick Justice Richard Farina for the Conservative Party nomination for the town justice race in November. Barlet received 71 votes to Farina's 14. Both will appear on the ballot in November anyway, Barlet on both the Republican and Conservative lines, Farina as a Democrat. Anthony Portelli and Brenda Pender were the two top vote-getters in the District 31 Republican Committee race. Portelli had 17 of the 32 votes cast with Pender finishing second with 11. Both will represent the district on the committee. John Moore finished with four votes, while Frank Bellomo received none. Moore and Bellomo had represented district 31 since it was created about four years ago during a town redistricting. To run in a district, a candidate does not have to live there. Portelli had been a committee person for a dozen years in district 7. Prior to the redistricting, his house was located in that district; after the redistricting, his block became part of district 31. He said he wanted to represent the district he lives in, which is why he petitioned for the district 31 seat. Portelli was the only candidate of the four who lives in the district. Portelli has previously served as a town councilman, village trustee and mayor in the past. Brock Majewski and John Thompson are the new Republican committee members from District 7, according to Dot Ehlers, secretary of the Warwick Republican Committee. It is rare to have a primary for committee seats, Ehlers said. Every two years all committee seats are up for grabs, but committee members are usually chosen through petitions, not elections. The new committee members begin their terms immediately, Ehlers added.