Westchester County Legislator Damon Maher announced on Jan. 12 that he will not be running for reelection to the BOL this year, 2023. All 17 seats on the BOL are up for reelection this November.
In a statement, Maher said, “I will not be running for reelection to the Westchester County Board of Legislators, District 10, this year. I am proud to have been part of the new Democratic majority that came in 5 years ago that invests tens of millions of dollars in affordable housing and infrastructure each year, and has reduced childcare costs for low- income working families, protected immigrants and the most vulnerable workers and kept guns and abusive animal acts out of our beloved County Center.
“As I serve out my term in 2023, I plan on being at the center of the development of three especially significant initiatives: land use law that allows owners more freedom to use their land to create more housing alternatives; guaranteed access to counsel for low- and moderate- income people in landlord/tenant cases; and an independent countywide police accountability department.
“I am letting people know my plans in this regard now so others who may now be interested in running for this seat have adequate time to make the appropriate plans to do so. I am considering my options for another opportunity in public service. The only thing I am ruling out is another run for my current office.”
Maher is widely believe to be preparing to run for Mayor of New Rochelle. The Hispanic Democrats of Westchester announced three candidates running for office in New Rochelle this year. Manuel Casanova announced last week that he was running against Maher for his County Legislative seat in the 10th District. Now that Maher is not running, Casanova will certainly have a republican opponent in Nov. if not another democrat for a primary in June.
Another candidate endorsed by the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester is Yadira Ramos-Herbert, who will be running for New Rochelle Mayor. Ramos-Herbert is currently a councilmember representing the 3rd district in New Rochelle, and the current Mayor Noam Bramson is not running for reelection.
A democratic primary in June could have Maher and Ramos-Herbert competing for Mayor. One New Rochelle Democrat told us that “Mayor Bramson and the party establishment appear to be supporting Ramos-Herbert. But Maher has run on his own before and won on his own before, and that same NR Dem said, “Damon is one of the best campaigners in Westchester. He will work for it, so she better be prepared to do the same.”
