And the Democratic Nominees for Sleepy Hollow Trustee Are...

It seems to have become an annual tradition in recent years to expect some surprises at the nomination of Sleepy Hollow democratic candidates.

This year was no different: incumbent Jennifer Lobato-Church waited in the hall as technicalities (she's a Republican) prohibited her access. In Galgano hall, Trustee Karin Wompa tried her hardest to get another Democrat on the slate instead.

Nominee John Petry suddenly withdrew from the race.

And to Wompa's last minute nomination after that, David Hodgson said "no thanks."

Mayor Ken Wray said he was surprised by the lack of support for Church after a sizable defeat in the second round against newcomer to politics, Dorothy Handelman: 16 for Church vs. 25 votes for Handelman.

Wray nominated her in the last round which she won, though only by default with Petry backing out and in spite of great behind-the-scenes deliberation on her own part - whether with three young girls and a "high-powered" job she was up for another two years. She decided yes.

Handelman, who said she had been approached recently to run, finds herself instead with more time than ever now that her three kids are getting older. She said her great love of the village and the magnitude of the GM development to come inspired her to get more involved through this role.

First up though was an unchallenged Wompa, whose proven track record of achievement with downtown revitalization and other projects, said Trustee Evelyn Stupel, made her a shoe-in.

Church, who hinted at a falling out she and Wompa had had in their current term on the Board, might feel otherwise. In the hallway, she said the police at least were on her side, texting her to make sure she would run.

Veteran Susan MacFarlane said she would be leaving office at the end of her first two-year term in March. "It's been very rewarding," she said, but with a high-powered career of her own, time is tight.

So the three slots go to:

Incumbent Karin Wompa,
challenger Dorothy Handelman,
and incumbent Jennifer Lobato-Church.

Stay tuned as we approach March elections in both villages and for a series of nominations statements and endorsements from this caucus in VIDEOS LATER TODAY.