By Dan Murphy
The rumors and discussions online, in coffee shops and street corners and inside City Hall have been rumbling for many months about who will be the next mayor of Yonkers. The election for mayor is next November 2019, and incumbent Mayor Mike Spano is currently term-limited from serving any longer.
Usually, one year away from a mayor’s race, both parties have an idea of who their candidates will be. Right now, only one familiar name stands above the almost 10 names we have heard as possible candidates for mayor – former City Council President Chuck Lesnick.
Lesnick, a Democrat, served for eight years as council president, from 2005 to 2013, before he was term-limited out of office. He currently serves in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration but can be frequently found at many city events.
Two other possible Democratic candidates for mayor have moved onto other positions. State Sen. Shelley Mayer was elected to her Senate seat last spring, and Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins took a prominent post in the administration of County Executive George Latimer.
Republicans have very few possibilities and are coming off a blue wave election that wiped out several of their incumbents in Yonkers and Westchester. Former Council President Liam McLaughlin and former County Executive Robert Astorino were both defeated in 2017, but Astorino won the City of Yonkers.
“If Liam lost his re-election for council president last year, why should he run for mayor next year?” one Republican asked Yonkers Rising. McLaughlin, who has for many years wanted to serve as a city judge, is being encouraged to consider a run for mayor because there is no other candidate.
Former Councilmember John Larkin is not interested, and former Councilmember Dee Barbato is enjoying retirement. Current Councilmember Mike Breen is also not interested, and Councilmembers John Rubbo and Anthony Merante both were just elected to the council.
“If you remove Chuck Lesnick, there is basically no prominent name out there who wants to be Yonkers mayor in 2019,” said one Democratic Party leader.
Some of the many other names we have heard include City Court Judge Ed Gaffney, Chief City Court Judge Michael Martinelli (who is running for Supreme Court in November), Democratic Party Chairman and Department of Public Works Commissioner Tom Meier, and Republican Party Chairman Justin Tubiolo.
Two more viable names for mayor are Dennis Robertson and City Council President Mike Khader. Robertson, who ran for mayor and lost to Phil Amicone in 2007, would be a compromise candidate if Yonkers Democrats were divided at their convention, or could run a Democratic primary against Lesnick or whomever the nominee would be.
Khader was just elected for the first time last year, but that victory gives him the experience of winning a citywide race – a notch in his belt that he shared only with Lesnick in the group of possible names for mayor.
One event that could push Khader to run for mayor next year would be if McLaughlin were to run on the Republican side, setting up a rematch between the two.
Putting aside Lesnick, who at this point in time is the front-runner to become the next mayor of Yonkers, the names listed above consist of a maybe, might-be, could-be list of candidates, many with little or no name recognition, interested in serving as mayor of the fourth-largest city in New York.
The lack of candidates has spurred watercooler discussions and social media ravings encouraging Mayor Mike Spano to run for a third term as mayor. As we wrote above, Spano is currently serving his second, four-year term, and next year will be term -limited for running again.
The only way Spano could run again is if the City Council votes to overturn term limits. This would be an important change made to the laws concerning term limits. In the past, Yonkers voters had to pass referendums to overturn term limits. On two occasions, they were asked to do so and both times the voters rejected the proposition, preferring to keep term limits in place for both the mayor and City Council.
Now all that is required is a simple majority vote on the City Council; four votes on the council can overturn term limits, and Spano could run for a third term next year.
There has been no indication by the mayor, or by anyone in his administration or inner circle, that he is interested in running for a third term. There have also been no public discussions between members of the City Council about overturning term limits, or the submission of any legislation to do so.
But after nearly two years of hypotheticals and online rumors, members of the City Council have confirmed to Yonkers Rising that the possibility of overturning term limits is a possibility and has been discussed.
Spano has served in a bipartisan manner over the past seven years. He has support from both sides of the aisle and might be able to get votes from both sides to overturn term limits if he decides that he wants to run for a third term.
Several current members of the City Council would also be able to run for a third term if term limits are overturned. Majority Leader Michael Sabatino, Minority Leader Mike Breen and Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac are all serving their second terms on the council.
Breen’s seat in the Fifth District is up next year and so far, no candidate has stepped forward with an interest to run. While it is early for council candidates to step forward, it’s not too early for a mayoral candidate to step up and throw his or her hat in the ring.
City Council President Mike Khader said, “As far as I know it’s been settled law in the city and I have no knowledge of any discussions about it.”
