By Dan Murphy
Twenty three days after a number of Democratic Primaries in Westchester on June 23, the Board of Elections was able to certify the results of several important contests for county, state and federal offices. Many Westchester residents have complained about waiting on long lines to vote on primary day, and the long delay in receiving the official vote totals.
Jamaal Bowman defeated 30 year Congressman Eliot Engel in the 16th District, with 56% of the vote. Engel conceded after waiting for all of the absentee ballots to be counted. “We have made so much progress together, and faced so many challenges. Throughout those years, I have always worked as hard as humanly possible to represent my constituents as a progressive Democrat in Washington and as an involved, informed and present public servant in New York. I never for a minute thought of this as my seat,” he said. “It’s the people’s seat, and it is a true honor that you put your trust in me to represent you in the greatest legislative body in the world,” said Rep. Engel.
Westchester District Attorney Anthony Scarpino also conceded last week to Mimi Rocah after counting absentee ballots. “I called Mimi Rocah to congratulate her on winning the Democratic nomination for Westchester County District Attorney. I look forward to supporting her and Democrats up and down the ballot in November. It has been my distinct honor to serve as District Attorney and I am grateful to the people of Westchester for affording me the opportunity to do so since 2017. I am extraordinarily proud of the public servants in the District Attorney’s Office who dedicate every day to create a safer, more just County for all. I look forward to completing my term as District Attorney, a role which has been an integral part of my four decade-long career in service to the community that I love.”
In Yonkers, the big primary was for Yonkers City Court Judge. After all of the absentee ballots were counted, Verris Shako, Karen Best and Dan Romano won the primary for three seats on the City bench.
Shako received the most votes, 9902, with Best second, 8100, and Romano third with 6977 votes. Romano narrowly defeated Judge Tom Daly by 163 votes. Now that the primary is over, we congratulate Shako, Best and Romano, who most likely will become Yonkers City Court Judges in November.
Despite recent efforts by the County Board of Legislators and County Executive George Latimer to improve the Board of Elections, Yonkers residents may have to get used to waiting for the outcome of close elections this November, if tens of thousands of absentee ballots will have to be counted again.
