By Dan Murphy
For more than 60% of Westchester residents and voters, the most important political date in the county is June 22, the date of the Democratic Primary. Several democratic primaries across the county have progressive democrats challenging incumbent democratic elected officials.
Westchester Democrats will be voting on their candidate for County Clerk on June 22. Incumbent Democrat County Clerk Tim Idoni is running for re-eleciton, and a 5th term. Yonkers City Councilmember Shanae Williams is challenging Idoni for County Clerk.
While some Westchester democrats challenging incumbents have been able to secure support and other resources, so far, Idoni has been able to secure the endorsement of the Working Families Party, WFP, 98% of district leaders at the Westchester Democratic convention, and almost all of the democratic leaders and committees across the county.
The Working Families Party endorsed Idoni on March 15. “A New York that works for working people starts at the local level. That’s why our Party is thrilled to be backing over 100 candidates across the Hudson Valley Region running for municipal and county office, all of whom have committed to always putting the many before the few,” said New York Working Families Party State Director Sochie Nnaemeka. “COVID-19 has made it clearer than ever that too many New Yorkers have suffered under decades of disinvestment from the schools, hospitals, and housing that keep our communities safe and healthy. We know that these are the leaders in the Hudson Valley that will fight to change that.”
Idoni has also secured support in Yonkers, where Williams serves on the City Council. Eileen O’Connor is the co-founder of Indivisible in Congressional District 16, and an active, respected member of democratic, progressive politics in Yonkers. “I like Shanae and have watched her speak out on issues like housing and for supporting folks who have suffered through the pandemic. I respect that.”
“But I was surprised that she would run for County Clerk. I don’t know Tim (Idoni) very well but I respect the work he has done in the county clerk’s office. The outreach from his office, and the fact that he continues to digitize and improve the office, is the reason for my support. He has done a really good job there and why should we change it? Before he took over the County Clerk’s office, it used to be a place for patronage. He doesn’t use the office for that, and the office just serves the people of Westchester.
“Our group (Indivisible-CD 16) is about good government and Tim Idoni is a fine example of that. It’s not a flashy job that gets a lot of attention but he is seen as an exemplar of how to run a governmental office and his views are sought out across the state and country. It’s nothing personal against Shanae but I feel strongly that Tim should be allowed to continue,” said O’Connor.
County Legislator Damon Maher, another progressive democratic leader in the county said, “Westchester County Clerk Tim Idoni’s office is the most efficient and user-friendly that I have experienced in my 40 years as a practicing attorney. As a member of the County Legislature’s Budget Committee, I know that County Clerk Tim Idoni is the one department head we can count on every year to find more efficiencies in his operation and save taxpayers’ money.”
Patrick Welsh, Co-Chair Westchester -Putnam Working Families Party said, “We interviewed both candidates and I have no problem with Shanae (Williams). She is a progressive, but Tim Idoni has done a good job and his is a progressive. He has opened up the County Clerk’s office and made it accessible to everyone. He has introduced multi lingual staff so that they can serve everyone. It’s a very diverse group in the office and there is no reason to make a change.
“In our mind, Shanae is working on the Yonkers City Council on an affordable housing ordinance, which we support, increasing it to 20%. I think she should continue her progressive work instead of going after a fellow progressive,” said Welsh.
Gabrielle Bordwin, co-founder Rivertowns Vote, said, “Tim has a great countywide profile. He has delivered on priorities important to progressives, including supporting the SAFE Act, and the Green Light law in Albany. Even prior to becoming County Clerk, Tim was the Mayor of New Rochelle and the manager in Ardsley. He brought all of that to his race for County Clerk. It’s hard for anybody who is not as well know. Shanae’s starting point is not as high as Tim’s was, and she has a hard challenge to make the case against Tim, because he is walking the walk.”
Democrats we spoke to in Northern Westchester say that they have yet to see Williams campaigning in their communities, nor have they seen her petitons. At the County Democratic Convention in February, Idoni got 98% of the votes case, with Williams withdrawing her name before the tally began.
Westchester Democrats submitted over 9,000 signatures for Idoni and the Working Families Party submitted three times the required number to get Idoni on the WFP line.
