In a historic shift for the Town of Wilton, voters elected Democrat Dr. Toni Sturm as town supervisor, ending more than two decades of Republican control. Sturm defeated incumbent John Lant (R,C) in the November 2025 election, marking the first time in years that Wilton’s top office will be held by a Democrat¹.
A lifelong Wilton resident, Sturm built her career in medicine before turning to public service. She graduated from Skidmore College and earned her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City². Early in her career, she worked in New York City hospitals, focusing on underserved populations and helping to launch a harm-reduction nonprofit that secured more than $1 million in grants for health initiatives². After returning upstate in 2005, Sturm practiced internal medicine in Glens Falls and Ticonderoga, later serving as Emergency Department Director at Moses-Ludington Hospital from 2015 to 2018². She has since taken a leave from medical practice to focus on community and environmental work².
Sturm has long been active in local conservation efforts, collaborating with Saratoga PLAN to preserve wetlands and extend hiking and biking trails through her family property². Her campaign emphasized protecting Wilton’s rural character, maintaining fiscal discipline, and improving public engagement³.
Among her key priorities:
- Balanced Growth & Fiscal Responsibility: Sturm supports redevelopment of the former Wilton Mall into a mixed-use housing project, projecting it could add roughly $370,000 in annual sales tax revenue while preserving the town’s long-standing “No Town Tax” policy¹ ³.
- Open Space Preservation: She has called for tying development to stronger land conservation measures and protecting Wilton’s water resources and farmland³.
- Traffic & Safety: Her platform includes expanding sidewalks and multi-use paths, particularly along Route 9, to improve pedestrian safety³.
- Transparent Government: Sturm has pledged to increase public participation through citizen advisory boards, surveys, and open town forums² ³.
Supporters describe Sturm’s approach as collaborative and data-driven, shaped by her background in medicine and public health². She has emphasized “evidence-based decision-making” and a commitment to inclusiveness across party lines².
Sturm takes office in January 2026. Until then, residents are encouraged to share ideas and concerns through her campaign contact, sturm4wilton@gmail.com³. In her campaign launch, she wrote that her goal is to “unite the community and preserve the town’s unique qualities through collaboration, inclusivity, and transparency.”³
Sources:
¹ Times Union – “Mall apartment project a key issue in Wilton supervisor race”, “Saratoga Democrats perform unexpectedly well in elections”
² Saratoga County Democratic Committee – “Toni Sturm for Town Board”
³ Saratoga TODAY – “An Introduction to Toni Sturm”; Sturm4Wilton.com – “Toni Sturm for Wilton Supervisor”