2026 New York General Election

Adrienne Gelfand-Perine is a founding member and trustee of Vision of Wallkill, the vibrant community group behind such popular events as Weekend in Wallkill and the free summer Rhythm on the River Concert Series. She is the President of the Friends of the Wallkill Library. She is active in the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner, the local food pantry Wallkill Loaves and Fishes, and the Wallkill Women’s Club.

Adrienne Gelfand-Perine for Ulster County Legislature

Adrienne Gelfand-Perine is a founding member and trustee of Vision of Wallkill and president of the Friends of the Wallkill Library. She is also active in the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner, Wallkill Loaves and Fishes, and the Wallkill Women’s Club.

After earning a BA and a Master’s in Education from Queens College, Adrienne taught in the NYC school system for more than 25 years. She was President of the NYC chapter of the New York State Theater Education Association and a chapter leader of the United Federation of Teachers.

Meet Adrienne | Adrienne Gelfand-Perine for Ulster County Legislature

Adrienne Gelfand-Perine previously taught in the New York City school system.

Walls is running for election to a third term in office. He was first elected to the post in 2021 in an uncontested race. In 2025, he bested Gelfand-Perine in the race for a one-year seat on the county board. Gelfand-Perine is making her second bid for the legislative seat and her third bid for elected office. In 2023, Gelfand-Perine made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Shawangunk Town Board.

Election 2026: Ulster GOP legislator Walls faces challenge from Democrat Gelfand-Perine in Shawangunk

Adrienne ran for a one-year seat on the county board in 2025 but did not win. She previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Shawangunk Town Board in 2023.

Election 2025: Ulster Legislator Walls faces challenge from ...

Adrienne ran for a one-year seat on the county board in 2025 but lost. She previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Shawangunk Town Board in 2023.

She called the proposed tax surcharge “the most viable solution” to address anticipated federal cuts in funding for SNAP and Medicaid, especially since the county raised the income thresholds. “Other counties are thinking about raising property taxes or sales tax which will hurt homeowners and renters who are barely getting by,” she stated on the Freeman questionnaire.

Adrienne believes that our community needs public transportation, a farmers market, and the creation of a local economic task force to increase the tax base by attracting small businesses and encouraging tourism.

The Town of Shawangunk is home to Ulster County’s most fertile farmlands. Farmers and growers constitute a significant portion of the hamlet’s population and yet have no local outlets to sell their produce. As a legislator from District 13, Adrienne Gelfand-Perine will work to develop opportunities for Wallkill hamlet residents to see increased access to more farm-to-table products. She also wants to help facilitate the transition to sustainable agriculture by securing state funding to support farmers in sustainable agriculture projects.

Priorities | Adrienne Gelfand-Perine for Ulster County Legislature

Called a proposed tax surcharge the "most viable solution" to anticipated federal funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid.

Believes a local economic task force is needed to attract small businesses and encourage tourism.

Plans to create more opportunities for Wallkill residents to access farm-to-table products.

- Called a proposed tax surcharge the "most viable solution" to anticipated federal funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid.
- Believes a local economic task force is needed to attract small businesses and encourage tourism.
- Plans to create more opportunities for Wallkill residents to access farm-to-table products.

Economy

“We are in a medical desert here in Shawangunk,” she said. “I would like to work on getting, at least, an urgent care facility within [the hamlet of] Wallkill. A retired middle school English/drama teacher, Gelfand-Perine said she would also push to increase the arts as businesses and spaces to address the need to strengthen positive mental health from children to seniors.

Election 2025: Ulster legislator Walls faces challenge from Democrat Gelfand-Perine in District 13

Plans to increase arts businesses and spaces to support positive mental health for people of all ages, from children to seniors.

Believes the community needs a farmers market.

- Plans to increase arts businesses and spaces to support positive mental health for people of all ages, from children to seniors.
- Believes the community needs a farmers market.

Public Services

As of October 22, 2026, Adrienne Gelfand-Perine’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Housing & Urban Development

Gelfand-Perine said she would like to see greater protection for farmland and more services to the district. She said Shawangunk is a “medical desert” and would push to bring an urgent care facility to the area. She also said she would push to bring more public transportation to the underserved areas of the district.

The hamlet of Wallkill is a healthcare desert. The closest hospital to Wallkill is in Ellenville—a 19-mile drive over a windy mountain road (Highway 52) that, even in the best of weather, often takes 30 minutes or longer to make. Adrienne Gelfand-Perine will push for Ulster County to invest in medical transportation services so that residents can get to their doctors’ appointments on time without wasting an entire day or booking expensive Uber services. She will lobby hard to expand telehealth options at the county level and collaborate with community organizations to provide technology education workshops. Gelfand-Perine will also push for increasing UCAT’s services to and from the hamlet; this will involve adjusting current routes to accommodate more rural parts of Ulster County.

Plans to bring an urgent care facility to Shawangunk.

Plans to invest in medical transportation services and expand telehealth access at the county level.

- Plans to bring an urgent care facility to Shawangunk.
- Plans to invest in medical transportation services and expand telehealth access at the county level.

Public Safety

Adrienne Gelfand-Perine will push for Ulster County to invest in medical transportation services so that residents can get to their doctors’ appointments on time without wasting an entire day or booking expensive Uber services. She will lobby hard to expand telehealth options at the county level and collaborate with community organizations to provide technology education workshops. Gelfand-Perine will also push for increasing UCAT’s services to and from the hamlet; this will involve adjusting current routes to accommodate more rural parts of Ulster County.

Plans to expand Ulster County Area Transit service to Wallkill and adjust routes to better serve rural areas.

- Plans to expand Ulster County Area Transit service to Wallkill and adjust routes to better serve rural areas.

Transportation & Infrastructure

A Democrat who will also hold the Working Families line on the ballot, Gelfand-Perine said that as a retired teacher with two adult children, she will be able to devote her full attention to the position and will use her “collaborative expertise to find solutions for local problems.” Gelfand-Perine said she would like to see greater protection for farmland and more services to the district. She said Shawangunk is a “medical desert” and would push to bring an urgent care facility to the area.

As a legislator from District 13, Adrienne Gelfand-Perine will work to develop opportunities for Wallkill hamlet residents to see increased access to more farm-to-table products. She also wants to help facilitate the transition to sustainable agriculture by securing state funding to support farmers in sustainable agriculture projects.

Said she would like greater protection for farmland.

Wants to secure state funding for farmers' sustainable agriculture projects.

- Said she would like greater protection for farmland.
- Wants to secure state funding for farmers' sustainable agriculture projects.

Energy & the Environment

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Adrienne Gelfand-Perine

- Believes a local economic task force is needed to attract small businesses and encourage tourism.
- Plans to create more opportunities for Wallkill residents to access farm-to-table products.

- Believes the community needs a farmers market.

- Plans to invest in medical transportation services and expand telehealth access at the county level.

- Wants to secure state funding for farmers' sustainable agriculture projects.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Proposes a program linking young farmers unable to afford land with farmers aging out of the industry.

Walls is deputy chairman of the Legislature’s Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee and the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee. He is also a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and the Lions Club.

Richard T. Walls is a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and the Lions Club.

A veteran police officer and deputy, Walls said public safety, tax relief and the expansion of the county’s rail trail network will be among his priorities in the upcoming year.

Richard T. Walls has worked as a police officer and deputy.

Richard T Walls

2nd Term
Jan 01, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026

Appointing Authority
Elected Official

Position
District 13

Ulster County, NY: Boards

Richard is serving his second term as an elected official representing District 13 in Ulster County.

Richard T. Walls - The Ulster County Legislature

Richard is a county legislator for Ulster County's District 13.

Walls said the county should use some of the county’s fund balance to help reduce the property tax burden facing county residents. “Due to an ever increasing surplus of funds, the County should offer a 15 % property tax refund,” he wrote in a Freeman questionnaire. “This was defeated in this current session and I would raise the issue again if elected.”

Proposes a 15% county property-tax refund using surplus funds and would propose it again if elected.

Proposes a 15% county property-tax refund using surplus funds.

- Proposes a 15% county property-tax refund using surplus funds.

As of October 22, 2026, Richard T. Walls did not have a website or any information online.

One county legislator doesn't support the measure. County Legislator Richard Walls (R- District 13) said $1.3 million can buy a lot of patrol cars. He said Putnam County is the only sheriff's office in the state employing the technology. “I believe it's more cost effective to train officers in enhanced report writing, as opposed to spending this kind of money on an AI product,” Walls said. “There are some benefits to the product. I just don't believe the benefits are worth the cost.”

Ulster County weighs AI law enforcement tool

Opposes the proposed artificial-intelligence policing product, favoring enhanced report-writing training for officers as a more cost-effective alternative.

- Opposes the proposed artificial-intelligence policing product, favoring enhanced report-writing training for officers as a more cost-effective alternative.

Calling the county’s rail trail network a tourism draw and “great asset for county residents,” Walls said he would like to see the trail network expanded. “Specifically, I would like to [get] a rail trail extension from the Town of Shawangunk to the town of Gardiner.”

Wants to extend the rail trail from the Town of Shawangunk to the Town of Gardiner.

- Wants to extend the rail trail from the Town of Shawangunk to the Town of Gardiner.

Richard T. Walls

As of October 22, 2026, Richard T. Walls’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Ulster County Legislator, District 13

Candidates (2)