Khader, Rubbo, Merante, Pineda-Isaac All Running for Re-election
With our country wrapping up the Presidential election of 2020, Yonkers residents, taxpayers and voters will face another important election on Nov. 2 2021, with three council seats up in the 2nd, 4th and 6th Districts, and the City Council Presidency also to be determined by the voters citywide. The political calendar has been pushed up for all elections in Yonkers and New York State, which now require earlier nominating conventions by both parties and the collection of signatures, all before the spring.
The primaries are now on June 23 and not in September. So any challengers to incumbents must make their decisions within the next few weeks. Yonkers Democratic Chair Tom Meier said that the City Democratic Convention will be held on Jan. 27.
The first political question is who will anyone step forward to challenge Council President Mike Khader, who will be seeking a second term.
Khader has been effectively able to balance working with all councilmembers and Mayor Mike Spano, with occasionally showing his independence and standing opposed to issues of concern to him, most notably his work on controlling water rates in the City.
As of Jan 8, there is no rumored candidate, democrat or republican, who wants to challenge Khader. “One or two elected officials have considered it, but in the end they determined that the Council President will be difficult to beat, so they passed,” said a Yonkers democratic leader.
A few elected officials in Yonkers who “aren’t crazy” about Khader’s leadership on the council want someone to run against him but can’t find anyone. “If Mike Khader runs without opposition, it will be the first time in decades that there hasn’t been a contested election for council president in Yonkers. If he (Khader) gets 90% of the vote in November, that puts him in great shape to run for Mayor in 2023,” said another City Hall democrat.
One Yonkers republican told Yonkers Rising that she would be ‘extremely disappointed” if republicans don’t run a candidate for Council President. “I’m hoping that our new GOP Chairman (John Larkin) can find someone and start to turn things around.” Khader shocked the City of Yonkers when he defeated incumbent republican council president Liam McLaughlin in 2017 by a 54%-46% margin.
One of the two remaining republicans on the City Council is up for re-election in the fall and will face a serious challenge. Councilman Anthony Merante will face off against former Yonkers Police Department Deputy Chief Tim Hodges, a democrat, in the 6th District. Hodges has not been endorsed by the Yonkers Democratic committee, so other democrats may enter the race.
Merante, who has served as a fiscal watchdog of sorts on the council, made his re-election announcement last month, saying, “I take the title of public servant very seriously. You pay your taxes; you are the customer and are entitled to excellent service. I’m always here to listen and help with any issues my constituents may have.” Merante has also fought against the UPS expansion on Tuckahoe Road. “Merante needs to win, even if it is a tough race. It’s 5-2 on the council right now, we need to hold onto what we have left,” said a Yonkers republican.
In the 4th Council District, incumbent John Rubbo will be running for re-election for the first time, and for the first time as a democrat, since changing parties.
While republicans are “Not happy that Rubbo switched parties,” as one Yonkers republican told us, nobody has stepped forward to run. And while it was widely expected that a progressive democrat would challenge Rubbo in a democratic primary, the clock is ticking and democrats we spoke to couldn’t give us a name.
“Some people are thinking about it but most can’t do it this year. One rumor has an educator that is going to challenge him. I’m praying that somebody steps up because he deserves it. I haven’t given up hope,” said one Yonkers democrat in the 4th district.
Mario De Giorgio, who ran for Mayor in 2019, is one possible opponent to Rubbo.
Councilman Rubbo told Yonkers Rising that he will run on his record of supporting the investment in the Yonkers Public Schools, both in annual recurring revenues and increase in capital funding for improving schools.
Rubbo said that he is also happy to have stretched paving dollars for projects in his district and across the city with new technology, and doing more with less tax dollars. Improvements to Coyne Park and a streetscape project for McLean Avenue are also quality of life projects that Rubbo has completed in his first term. Rubbo is also rumored to be interested in running for Mayor in 2023 if he can clear his re-election hurdle this year.
City Council Majority Leader Corazon Pineda-Isaac is cruising towards re-election without any opposition. Pineda-Isaac has become one of the democratic leaders both in the Yonkers democratic party and on the council, while also representing and helping the people in her district. Her political future is bright and perhaps that is why nobody is stepping forward to challenge her.
Another City Councilmember has made news, and a big spash throughout Westchester County when Councilwoman Shanae Williams announced that she was challenging incumbent democrat County Clerk Tim Idoni. The two are set to face off in a democratic primary in June.
Four seats on the Westchester County Board are also up for re-election this fall. All four seats representing Yonkers are democrats; Legislators Christopher Johnson and Jose Alvarado are the more traditional Yonkers democrats; Legislator David Tubiolo switched parties last year to become a democrat, and Legislator Ruth Walter narrowly defeated republican Gordon Burrows in 2019.
Several republicans are making the rounds and testing the waters for a possible challenge to Walter in the 15th District (East Yonkers and Bronxville) but nobody has yet to come forward. Democrats currently hold a 16-1 Super, Super Majority on the County Board, and this race in the 15th where republicans are hoping to reclaim some dignity.
Keep warm and let the political season begin.
