Spano Wins Yonkers Primary
By Dan Murphy
Westchester Democrats had the opportunity to go out and vote June 25, the first date that local primaries are held in June instead of September. While most communities – and democrats in those communities – stayed home, in the cities of Yonkers, Mt. Vernon and New Rochelle there were contested primaries and interest.
The biggest Democratic primary June 25 was in the City of Mt. Vernon, where four democrats squared off to see who would be the party’s nominee for mayor. In an upset, first-time candidate Shawyn Patterson-Howard defeated Mayor Richard Thomas, Council President Andre Wallace and former Police Commissioner Clyde Isley.
Unofficial results have Howard with 2,355 votes, or 33 percent; Thomas with 2,151 votes, or 30 percent; Isley with 1,394 votes, or 20 percent; and Wallace with 1,203 votes, or 17 percent. A total of 7,103 votes were cast and counted, and a recount and tabulation of absentee and paper ballots will now begin.
While Wallace can still run on the Republican Party line in November, Howard is now the heavy favorite to become the first woman elected mayor in Mt. Vernon history, and as she has stated along the campaign trail, “If it takes a woman to clean up our government, let’s do it.”
Democrats also selected two city council candidates, with Councilwoman Lisa Copeland earning 2,675 votes, or 22 percent of the vote; and Derrick Thompson with 2,035 votes, or 17 percent.
In Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano easily won his democratic primary, defeating Karen Beltran and Ivy Reeves by large margins. Out of nearly 8,000 votes cast, Spano got 5,951 votes, or 75 percent; with Beltran coming in second with 1,366 votes, or 17 percent; and Reeves with 619 votes, or 8 percent.
Spano said to a crowd of supporters that “Yonkers is moving forward and democrats want to see that continue.” Two other democratic primaries for city council races had Councilwoman Shanae Williams winning her primary against Terrence Miller, and Tasha Diaz defeating Dennis Robertson and Olasubomi Macaulay for the third city council seat.
In the race for county legislator in the 17th district of southwest Yonkers, former County Legislator Jose Alvarado will return to the county board after defeating London Reyes and Lucy Casanova. Alvarado will replace Legislator Virginia Perez, who decided not to run for re-election and who defeated Alvarado eight years ago.
In New Rochelle, two seats on the city council had democratic primaries. In District 3, Yadirar Herbert defeated David Peters by a 56 to 44 percent margin, and in District 6, incumbent Councilwoman Elizabeth Fried easily defeated former Councilwoman Shari Rackman 75 to 25 percent.
Westchester democrats also selected their nominees for two seats on County Court bench Tuesday. Melissa Loehr got the most votes, with 17,109, or 35 percent; and Robert Prisco came in second with 12,018 votes, or 25 percent. Loehr and Prisco will now be on the ballot, and the democratic line, in November. Michael Tawil and Alexander Eisemann both fell short, each receiving 20 percent of the total number of 48,501 votes cast.
In the Town of Greenburgh, a democratic primary for town council was won by Gina Jackson and Ken Jones, defeating Eric Zinger; and a close primary for town clerk was won by Judith Beville, who earned 1,947 votes, or 52 percent, over Maria Portilla, with 1,775 votes, or 48 percent.
In the only republican primary of note June 25, in Harrison, Pat Gizzo won the republican primary for town judge, defeating Pat O’Callaghan by a 66 to 34 percent margin.
