Two for Town Supervisor

Town of Windham Democratic Party held a caucus on July 15, selecting candidates for the 2026 election. Among those on hand for the gathering were (left to right) town supervisor nominee Connor Exum, Committee to Fill Vacancies members Lori Torgersen, Ellen Schorsch and Emily White, Party chairwoman/caucus secretary Kathy Stone and caucus presiding officer Christopher Brower.

WINDHAM - There will be a race for town supervisor in Windham with the choice of Connor Exum by the local Democratic Party to seek the post.

Exum won nomination at a Democratic Party caucus on July 15, and will again go against incumbent Republican Thomas Hoyt, in November.

Exum and Hoyt similarly faced off in November, 2025, for a one-year term of office, now trying to secure a two-year term.

Democrats will not offer a challenger to Katherine Murray, the current tax collector, the only other office on the local ballot. Hoyt and Murray were picked to represent the town GOP in the spring.

Exum, after the caucus, detailed his vision for Windham, stating, “in a little less than two months, we will mark the 64th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's famous "We Choose to Go to the Moon" speech.”

Kennedy’s speech was, “delivered at a time when the United States appeared to be losing the Space Race to the Soviet Union,” Exum continued.

“Yet Kennedy did not respond to that challenge by lowering expectations. Instead, he challenged the nation to pursue an ambitious vision that many believed was impossible.

“As a community, Windham faces challenges that, while different in scale, require the same willingness to think boldly about our future. We need our own moonshot—a transformative vision of what local government can accomplish,” Exum stated.

“Our moonshot should be to create a local government that actively invests in our community's future by building a strong foundation for sustainable growth. Rather than serving as a passive administrator, our local government should become an active leader in shaping Windham's future.

“This is what I call "Making Windham Local Again"—a set of policies designed to create a proactive local government that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the economic and social needs of our community,” Exum stated. 

“It is a local government that actively encourages business development through the creation of a Business Incubator and Accelerator.

“It is a local government that seeks opportunities to strengthen Main Street by pursuing federal and state development grants.

“It is a local government committed to maximizing the value of every taxpayer dollar by improving the efficiency of public services while reducing unnecessary costs.

“It is also a local government that develops programs to lower the cost of living for every resident,” Exum stated. 

“Like many communities across New York State, Windham is struggling with rapidly rising utility costs. 

“We should establish programs that help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes, reducing heating and cooling expenses while strengthening our community's long-term resilience,” Exum stated.

“These are not unrealistic aspirations. Communities throughout our region are already pursuing similar initiatives and demonstrating that they can succeed. There is no reason Windham cannot do the same. 

“The real question is whether we have the collective will to pursue them. We can choose to build a community that creates opportunities for future generations, or we can choose to accept stagnation and decline.

“We can create a community that supports its most vulnerable residents, particularly those living on fixed incomes, while fostering a truly sustainable, multigenerational economy,” Exum stated.

“We can welcome new residents, encourage new businesses, promote artisan manufacturing, and invest in long-term economic development. Those choices belong to us.

“Achieving them requires a local government willing to lead, innovate, and create opportunities for everyone. That is what Making Windham Local Again means,” Exum stated.

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My apologies to the Windham Democratic Party and Greene County Democratic Party co-chairperson Lori Torgersen for my mixup in communications regarding a recent, different story.

When the above-referenced caucus ended, Torgersen approached me with a concern about something I had written in a June 5 “Hearsay” article.

The piece centered on an in-Party issue that had arisen involving her role as Party co-chair and a particular in-Party communication/letter.

I had written that, “Torgersen has not responded to a May 28 email from the Mountain Eagle, asking if she had received the letter and if she wished to comment.”

I further wrote that, “Torgersen has said the best way to contact her, in her role as co-chairperson, is via email.”

That last part was not accurate. Torgersen, the other night, showed me a message between her and me from around that same time.

She had recommended I call and/or text her with questions, rather than rely solely on email that she might not readily see.

I said I would do that but I didn’t for the June 5 story, thinking I had it right about her preference for email. I had it wrong.

Torgersen mentioned the concern in front of other caucus attendees which is fine. I let them know all three methods of communication would be utilized for any future stories.