ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.—Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano on Tuesday night defeated Joel Sierra, former fireman and alderman and current county legislator, in the city’s Democratic Primary.
There are no Republicans set to run for mayor this election cycle.
The votes were 1,091 for DeStefano and 322 for Sierra. Middletown has a population of about 30,000.
DeStefano ran with J. Miguel Rodrigues as his alderman at large.
His campaign focused on his accomplishments as mayor and his dedication to continuing to improve the city. He highlighted his close relationship with the Middletown Police Department in bringing down city crime, as well as $70 million from both private investors and grants invested in redeveloping Middletown.
DeStefano was the city’s mayor from 1993 to 2005, and has served from 2009 to the present.
During his tenure as mayor, the city received a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from the state.
“We have a pretty simple message. Don’t look at the city through my eyes, look at it through your eyes as residents. And if you see a difference in the past 15 years in this community, then let’s keep the momentum going and move Middletown forward,” DeStefano told The Epoch Times.
In his victory speech at the Olde Erie Restaurant on June 24, DeStefano said: “We were like a quilt. We had different groups, different people came together from different organizations, from different ethnic backgrounds. We gave them a voice. And what I try to tell every group that I’ve met with is that your vote will become your voice.”
Sierra’s campaign focused on getting the Latino vote. As of 2020, census data showed that about 44 percent of the city was Latino.
“Bottom line was that the Latino support came with us,” he said.
A mariachi band played after DeStefano declared his victory.
DeStefano told The Epoch Times that he plans to continue to focus on economic development projects, infrastructure, and returning the abandoned buildings of Middletown to use by making them commercial and residential buildings.
He also plans to create an intergenerational recreation and seniors’ program.
