By Dan Murphy
The state of affairs for the Westchester Republican Party is less than optimistic. Currently, on the County Board of Legislators, democrats hold a 13-4 supermajority, and with the November elections, republicans stand a better chance at losing another seat or two than picking up any.
BOL Republican Minority Leader John Testa is retiring, giving democrats a better than even chance of picking up that first district seat, which includes Peekskill, Cortlandt and parts of Yorktown.
Another republican seat is in the 14th district, which includes parts of Yonkers and Mt. Vernon, currently represented by republican Legislator David Tubiolo. This district is said to be redistricted, with the next census in 2020 to include more of Mt. Vernon and more democratic voters.
Recently, Tubiolo held a joint event with Democratic State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi. The event, hosted by the Fleetwood Neighborhood Association, was a chance, as FNA President Mike Justino said, “for government to work closely with neighborhood associations. I’m thankful to both Legislator Tubiolo and Sen. Biaggi for reaching out to us and making this meeting a success,” he said.
The issues addressed by the two local lawmakers include the arts, the state and county budgets, campaign finance reform, education, empowerment, affordable housing, infrastructure, Memorial Field, the opioid epidemic, senior citizens, Scout Field, small businesses, social justice reform, the STAR program, taxes, veterans, voter reform, youth and more.
“The most important part of serving as an elected official is being in the community and discussing the issues with my constituents,” said Biaggi. “As their elected representative, I need to know what issues are most important to them. I am committed to working with County Legislator Tubiolo and the City of Mount Vernon to address all of our constituents’ needs. I thank Legislator Tubiolo for partnering with me in these efforts. I also thank the Fleetwood Neighborhood Association and the Fleetwood Citizens Society for ensuring a strong turnout and making this event a success. Most of all I thank all the residents who attended and participated in this Town Hall meeting.”
Tubiolo thanked the Senator for co-sponsoring the meeting. “I am proud to have Sen. Biaggi as a partner in government, representing our unique and beautiful Fleetwood neighborhood and for her courage and hard work in Albany on our behalf,” he said.
Democratic and Republican legislators in different levels of government do hold joint meetings with their constituents, but those meetings are becoming fewer and fewer for several reasons. First, there are fewer elected republicans in Westchester to have joint meetings with.
Second, the ideological differences between democrats, moving further to the progressive left, and republicans, moving to the conservative right, have become larger and larger. Finally, President Donald Trump has only inflamed the partisanship between both parties, and elected officials.
One exception is County Executive George Latimer, who continues to have coffees with constituents and republican legislators and has tried to work in a bipartisan manner – as he has throughout his political career.
But Tubiolo’s joint appearance with a newly elected progressive legislator did raise a few eyebrows, as did his comment that he was “proud to partner with Biaggi.”
Recently, several votes and issues on the County Board did not have Tubiolo either voting with or commenting with his three republican colleagues. The debate over the future of Playland and the GOP caucus’ rebuke of county legislator Damon Maher for his public, heated discussion with a county police officer, included the three other members of the GOP caucus, republican legislators John Testa and Gordon Burrows, with legislator Margaret Cunzio, a conservative.
Press statements given to the media from the republican BOL caucus also no longer included Tubiolo.
More important, the rumors that Tubiolo was considering switching parties continued to fester both in the county office building in White Plains and in his hometown of Yonkers. Instead of stopping those rumors and refuting them, Tubiolo has not commented.
Some republicans see the rift growing between Tubiolo and the three other members of the BOL minority and a bond growing with democratic legislators.
Most politicos in Yonkers and White Plains expect Tubiolo to make the switch after the November elections. But what angers republicans in Yonkers and White Plains is that Tubiolo is running for re-election as a republican, without democratic opposition.
“He is using the resources of the republican party to his advantage and then he’s going to jump ship? A lot of us aren’t happy with the way he is handling all of this,” said one county republican.
Another Yonkers republican added: “David had republicans collecting his signatures this year, when other Yonkers republicans were looking for some help. He wants all of the benefits but then he’s dropping the GOP like a hot potato?”
In Yonkers, Tubiolo does have democratic friends and supporters, including at least one ward leader. But the other oddity in all of this is that David Tubiolo’s father, Justin Tubiolo, is the Yonkers Republican Chairman.
“If David switches parties, then his dad could be put in the situation where he has to put up a republican candidate for county board to run against his son,” said a Yonkers democratic leader. “I don’t think it will get to that, but I hear his dad isn’t thrilled about this.”
The situation with the Tubiolos is reminiscent of another situation with republican family members watching one of their clan switch parties – the Spanos. Back in 2007, then-Assemblyman Mike Spano switched parties, from republican to democrat. Spano’s brother Nick was a long-serving republican state senator and former chairman of the Westchester GOP, and his father, Len, was a long-serving republican county legislator and county clerk.
Former Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore, who now serves as the chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, also switched parties from republican to democrat, also in 2007.
So the upcoming decision by Tubiolo is not completely unusual, but it hasn’t happened in more than a decade in Westchester. But any losses by republicans on the county board turn the major opposition party in Westchester into a bit player in county government.
“Now its 13-4, but if David switches parties and we lose Testa’s seat, its quickly 14-2,” said one prominent Westchester republican leader. “Gordon Burrows has a competitive election that he should win this time around, and Margaret Cunzio (who is a registered conservative but caucuses with republicans) is popular in her district and should also hold on. But should we be happy with 14-2? How did we get to this?”
Legislator Tubiolo declined to comment for this story, but also did not deny the rumors. And while most believe that he certainly has the right to switch parties, and that it may be good politics, there are better ways to handle it.
“David is now running with the support of the party and raising money as a republican. He will be elected in November as a republican and then he will switch parties? What are his political convictions? Where does he stand?” asked one county republican.
