By Dan Murphy
A special election will be held on April 24 to elect a replacement on the Westchester County Board of Legislators to replace longtime legislator Jim Maisano, who resigned to take a Consumer Affairs Commissioner’s post in the administration of Democratic County Executive George Latimer. The special election will be held on the same date as a special election for State Senate in the 37th District in Westchester, a wise move that will both save the County money by combining two special elections, and it may increase turnout for both contests.
Maisano served as a republican leader on the BOL for many years, and his departure now leaves 4 non-democrats left in the minority caucus, 3 republicans and one conservative legislator Margaret Cunzio. County Board democrats already have a supermajority of 12 seats, and a democrat in the county executives seat, giving the party full control over Westchester county government.
Maisano’s former BOL district, #11 comprises New Rochelle and Pelham, is the type of moderate leaning district that republicans must hold if they have any interest in maintaining a elective presence in county government, but also a district that democrats think they can win.
Both parties will select their candidates this week for the special election. Republicans will select attorney Jim Freeman as their candidate, while several democrats are interested in running. Freeman is a former assistant Westchester County Attorney and Board member of New Rochelle Neighborhood Revitalization Corp., with deep roots in New Rochelle.
Democrats will have to pick between at least three candidates when they caucus this week, including Terri Clements, Tasha Young and former elected officials from Pelham and New Rochelle. Young represents the Indivisible Westchester branch of the democratic party, which has helped bring enthusiasm, volunteers and the blue wave to county politics.
Democrats in the district are downplaying the race, putting the burden on republicans to hold the seat or else end up in a 13-4 super majority of democrats on the BOL. “If republicans can’t win this seat, which was carved out for a moderate republican like Maisano to win, then I think that the blue wave is here to stay,” said one New Rochelle democrat.
With less than 50 days to go before the special election, republicans are publicly confident but realize the importance of holding a seat held by Maisano for 20 years, and in the hometown of the Westchester County Republican Chairman Doug Colety.
“The GOP needs to hold this seat, to show that we can still win contested elections in Westchester,” said one county republican. “The State Senate race is turning into a difficult one for republicans, so this county board seat is turning into our last place to stand up and hold. It’s our Alamo.”
