County Executive Ken Jenkins takes the oath of office from NY State Supreme Court Justice Anne E. Minihan, with wife Deborah holding Bible
Meet County Executive Kenneth W. Jenkins
On Jan. 6, the Westchester County Board of Legislators voted unanimously to appoint Deputy County Executive Kenneth W. Jenkins Westchester County Executive until a Special Election, which the Board has set for February 11, 2025.
The public will vote to elect a County Executive to serve the remainder of Congressman George Latimer’s original term through December 2025. Jenkins succeeds Acting County Executive Richard G. Wishnie, who was designated to the transitional role by Board Chairman Vedat Gashi immediately after Latimer officially stepped down on January 2, 2025 to take his seat in Congress.
BOL Chair Vedat Gashi said: “Ken Jenkins is a leader who understands the needs of our residents and the complexities of our County government. He is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Westchester and is uniquely suited to ensure the County continues to thrive during this critical time. His leadership will help ensure that the priorities of Westchester’s families, businesses, and varied communities remain on track. We look forward to continuing our productive collaboration with him now and in the future.”
Jenkins has served as Deputy County Executive under Latimer since 2018. As a leader in the administration, Jenkins worked to cut taxes, build affordable housing, protect a woman’s right to choose, reduce crime, restore aging infrastructure and protect the environment. Jenkins, a Westchester County resident for the past 43 years, made history as Westchester’s first-ever Black County Executive.
Jenkins said: “I am deeply honored to have been named Westchester County Executive, a challenge I am braced to take on with integrity, respect and vision. As Deputy County Executive for the past seven years, I have fought hard to uphold the principals we all share – democracy, safety, education, technology and community engagement. We have made tremendous progress and have much we can feel proud of, seeing the completion of key infrastructure projects, environmental upgrades and social justice issues. I am confident that in this new role as County Executive, we will continue to make great strides for Westchester, together.”
Former Acting Westchester County Executive Richard Wishnie said: “We are very fortunate to have had the leadership of Ken Jenkins as we navigate through this historic moment in time for Westchester. Ken brings a wealth of experience and talent, and is by far the most prepared individual to take on the role of County Executive. I know he will lead with transparency, fairness and heart, and there is no one more deserving of serving as Westchester’s 10th County Executive.”
The ceremony was presided over by Westchester County Clerk Timothy Idoni, and Jenkins oath was administered by New York State Supreme Court Justice Anne E. Minihan, 9th Judicial District, in a ceremony at the Michaelian Office Building.
Jenkins built an extensive career in telecommunications and technology, holding key roles at leading companies such as Apple, AT&T, Bell Atlantic, New York Telephone (Verizon), NYNEX and Seer Technologies. He also gained valuable sales experience, as an owner and broker, during his tenure at ERA Gem Realty, further enhancing his expertise in the real estate sector.
Jenkins’ extensive public and community involvement includes board service with the Greyston Foundation, United Way, Westchester County District Attorney’s Community Advisory Committee, Westchester County Crime Stoppers and the Community Planning Council of Yonkers. He served as President of the Yonkers Branch of the NAACP and the Yonkers Community Action Program.
A longstanding member of the Democratic Party, Jenkins has held various leadership positions, including: Treasurer of the New York State Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Yonkers Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Black Democrats of Westchester and Secretary of the Westchester County Democratic Committee, in addition to serving on its Executive Committee. He has also shared his political insights as a frequent analyst on News 12 Westchester.
The next political step in the process of having the people of Westchester vote for the next County Executive is:
The leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties in Westchester will name their candidate for County Executive to run in the special election on Feb. 11. Jenkins will certainly be the democratic nominee, while the republican nominee has yet to be announced by Westchester GOP Chair Doug Colety, who posted the following call for candidates:
Dear Friends,
Following the victories of President Trump, Congressman Lawler and Assemblyman Slater, the Westchester GOP looks forward to continuing our momentum into the new year as 2025 brings critical county and local races. As you may be aware, petitions are expected to start on February 25th.
We have begun our process of interviewing candidates for Westchester County Executive, County Legislator and County Clerk. We anticipate a special election being called in February for County Executive, followed by the full term in November and welcome any potential candidates.
If you or anyone you know has an interest in running for any of the above offices this year, please email me at chairman@westchestergop.com or leave a voicemail for me at 914-949-3020, ext 1. While our interview process is for county offices, most of our towns and cities will have local races this year and we can gladly connect you to your local leader.
I look forward to speaking to all prospective candidates to outline the process and answer any questions. Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Doug Colety, Chairman Westchester GOP
In November of this year (2025), Westchester residents will again vote for County Executive, this time for a four year term.
