Make selections for four positions on November ballot
The Dutchess Democratic Committee held its nominating convention on Feb. 23, with members endorsing Tommy Zurhellen for county executive, Anthony Parisi for district attorney, Kenya Gadsden for county clerk and James Rogers for family court judge.
Zurhellen, 53, who lives in Poughkeepsie, is a Navy veteran and English professor at Marist who, in 2019, walked from Portland, Oregon, to Poughkeepsie to raise money for Hudson River Housing’s VetZero project.
Parisi is chief of the Major Crimes Bureau at the district attorney’s office, where he has served 25 years. The Beekman resident is also a former public defender.
Gadsden has been employed at Lifespire, a nonprofit that works with developmentally disabled individuals, for 30 years. She lives in Fishkill and is a former member of the Town of Fishkill Board and the Beacon school board.
Rogers, who lives in Red Hook, is a former state deputy district attorney for social justice, and a former deputy commissioner for worker protection with the state Department of Labor. He is also a former president of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys.