By Dan Murphy
NYS DSCC Uses Trump-Astorino Photo Early in Campaign
As a resident of the 40th State Senate District, which includes Northern Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties, I have prepared my mailbox for an onslaught of political mailings over the next 60 days.
The race for State Senate in the 40th has democratic incumbent Sen. Peter Harckham being contested by republican former County Executive Rob Astorino. This contest has already been identified by both sides as their #1 contest in Westchester for 2020.
The New York Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, DSCC, has created a website, RealRobAstorino.com and has already sent me a mailing that I was waiting for but had anticipated would come closer to election day November 3.
The mailing features a photo of Astorino at The White House with President Trump. “Rob Astorino has stood by Trump the Whole Time. There’s no defending Rob Astorno’s support of Donald Trump,” states the mailing.
Astorino, who won two terms as Westchester County Executive from 2009-2017 before losing to democratic George Latimer for a third term, knows that the link to Trump, and the overall negativity in Westchester towards the President, accounted for his large defeat to Latimer by 14 points three years ago.
But the 40th State Senate District is a different demographic of voters than the Deep Blue of Westchester County. While the 40th includes several northern Westchester communities, it runs north to include Putnam and Dutchess counties.
As you travel along Route 6 north from Westchester into Putnam County, on the weekends you will find a Trump for President tent set up with Hats, t-shirts, banners, flags and everything Trump one could ask for. There are also items supporting the Second Amendment and the Gadsden Flag (Don’t Tread on Me).
During my travels, I have found the Trump tent with several customers and supporters of the President. The location, in the Town of Carmel, is in the middle of the 40th District, and those same voters will be coming out on November 3 to vote for Trump, and for Astorino.
Tying Trump to Astorino may not be as successful for Democrats this time around as they may think. Bill Serratore, the Mt Kisco Democratic Chair and the likely next Westchester Democratic Chair, tweeted, “To Rob “TRUMP-KIN” Astorino, Westchester doesn’t want TRUMP-ARINO IN 2020!”
Perhaps one reason why the DSCC decided to mail the Trump Astorino mailing early is that democrats don’t want to see a political return by Rob Astorino to Westchester, and they want to try and stop him before his campaign picks up momentum. While Senator Harckham is a likeable and capable State Senator for the district, Rob Astorino has proven before that he can win countywide elections in Westchester County.
But those victories were in 2009 and 2013, which seem like an eternity ago in our political landscape of today. We can also expect a close election in the 40th State Senate District regardless of which candidate you may support.
The question then becomes, is Senator Harckham as good of a retail politician that George Latimer was when he defeated Astorino in 2017?
Look for every elected Democrat in New York to come out and support Senator Harckham this fall, including Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
That will help get out the vote in Northern Westchester for Sen. Harckham, but will it have the same effect, and get out voters in Putnam and in the Hudson Valley for Astorino?
