Westchester Democrats Ask Why?
By Dan Murphy
Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker told Rye Record reporter Robin Jovanovich in a story dated February 6, 2018, titled, “Change Agent Catherine Parker,” that, “Rob Astorino, whom I voted for when he ran the first time,”
Parker explained that because Astorino, “was no longer working to benefit the County,” she helped elect George Latimer County Executive in 2017. https://ryerecord.com/change-agent-catherine-parker/
Astorino ran for County Executive in 2009 and won, beating democrat Andy Spano. Astorino also won re-election in 2013, defeating democrat Noam Bramson. Several Westchester democrats we spoke to did not believe that Parker had ever voted for Astorino.
But once we shared the story and her quote, they were very surprised. “She doesn’t even say in the story that she voted for Noam,” said one Sound Shore Democrat. “Wow is my response.”
Many Westchester democrats have been around long enough to have been supporters of Andy Spano for all four of his runs for County Executive. Spano won election first in 1997 and was re-elected in 2001 and 2005, only to be defeated by Astorino in 2009.
“A lot of Westchester Democrats backed Andy Spano every time he ran. Realizing that Andy’s fourth run was a difficult one for any candidate, (just ask Mario Cuomo) to support Astorino, even back then, in hindsight seems like the wrong decision to make. I’m disappointed,” said one Yonkers democratic leader.
The story was found after Parker did not receive the endorsement from ProChoice Voter, who co-endorsed Vedat Gashi and Rep. Jamaal Bowman. Many democrats have wondered on social media why Parker didn’t get the abortion rights groups support, and were looking for answers.
Parker sent out conflicting email blasts to county democrats on the abortion debate. In the first email she said, “I’ll codify Roe,” but in a second email a week later, Parker’s campaign wrote, “we have to be realistic and look at what we can actually do. Why do I think these ideas are unicorns?”
The use of the word unicorns didn’t thrill the many democrats in Westchester who have placed a priority on protecting a woman’s right to choose.
Parker is running against Congressman Jamaal Bowman and County Legislator Vedat Gashi in the democratic primary in NY-16, which includes parts of the Bronx, Mt. Vernon, Yonkers and all of southern Westchester north into White Plains.
Gashi has picked up the support of a number of pro-choice democrats elected officials in Westchester including former Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Assembly members Amy Paulin and Sandy Galef, and former County Legislator Alfreda Williams.
Astorino lost his bid for a third term as County Executive to Latimer, after Donald Trump was elected President in 2016.
