This year, Mendon residents will cast their ballots for the Mendon town supervisor seat.
The town supervisor will serve a two-year term. To help inform your vote, we asked each candidate to describe their biggest priority if elected. You'll find their responses below. Where candidates did not respond, question areas are left blank. The online version of this story will be updated if candidates respond subsequent to online publication.
Polls are open for regular voting between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. You can look up where to vote at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. We'll have live Monroe County election results as they become available at democratandchronicle.com.
Who is running for Mendon Town Supervisor?
Challenger Cynthia Gleason is vying against newly elected
incumbent Mendon Supervisor Joe Alati for a two-year term.
Joseph Alati
Joseph Alati, D (incumbent)
Current or Elected office: Joe Alati is currently serving his first year as Mendon town supervisor. He previously served nine years as a member of the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District Board of Education.
Professional experience: A retired teacher and former small business owner. Alati taught at Monroe 1 BOCES for more than three decades.
What is the most important issue facing residents in Mendon, and what would you do about it if elected?
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
Cynthia Gleason
Cynthia Gleason, R, C
Age: 62
Family: Husband Sean and three adult children
Elected experience: None
Professional experience: An attorney of more than 35 years in private practice and public service, including many years in the New York State court system in Monroe County, including state Supreme, Monroe County and Rochester City Courts, served as a Referee in Domestic Violence Court and in problem-solving courts involving drug treatment, mental health and veterans. Gleason and her husband currently operate a small law practice Constantino & Gleason, PLLC. Gleason is also the president of the Board of Directors for NAMI Rochester.
What is the most important issue facing residents in Mendon, and what would you do about it if elected?
"I believe one of the most important issues facing Mendon is how we move forward while protecting the character and unique quality of life that make people want to live here.
Growth and change are inevitable, but they need to be thoughtful and responsible. Decisions about development should consider the overall impact on the community. Just as importantly, residents deserve to know what is being proposed, and to have a meaningful opportunity to be heard before major decisions are made. Transparency builds trust. Residents deserve clear, timely information about what their town government is considering, how their tax dollars are being spent, and why decisions are made. I will make open community and public participation a priority.
If I am elected, I will focus on listening first, asking questions, bringing people with different perspectives together, and working toward practical solutions. I want a town government that communicates openly, works collaboratively, and treats residents as partners in the decision-making process. We do not have to agree on everything to work together for the good of Mendon."
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
"I think voters should choose the person whose experience, temperament, and approach they believe are best suited to lead Mendon.
For more than 35 years as an attorney, I have worked with people facing difficult decisions, complex problems, and disagreements that required careful listening, good judgment, and practical problem-solving. That experience has taught me that very little is accomplished by simply taking sides. My approach has always been to listen, gather the facts, ask hard questions, find common ground where I can, and then make the best decision possible.
I am approachable, independent, and willing to work with people regardless of political party. I believe in accountability, but I also believe strongly in respect and collaboration.
This election is also personal to me. My husband Sean and I have called Mendon home for more than 26 years. We raised our three children here, and now our son has returned to Mendon to raise his own family. Our two daughters hope to move home as well. I care deeply about what this community will look like not only tomorrow, but twenty years from now.
I am running because I believe in bringing people together, solving problems, listening to one another, and working collaboratively to keep Mendon a community we are proud to call home."
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who's on my ballot in Mendon? Election 2026 supervisor candidates
