By Dan Murphy
Democrats Robert Kesten and Peter Harckham, both vying to become their party’s nominee to take on Republican State Sen. Terrence Murphy in November in the 40th Senate District (northern Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties), received endorsements for their campaigns last week.
Gary Greenberg, founder of Protect NY Kids and Fighting for Children PAC, joined the Kesten campaign in Peekskill to announce the endorsements of the child advocacy groups. Greenberg created the groups to support candidates in favor of legislation that essentially lifts the statute of limitations on child sex abuse.
The bill has passed the NYS Assembly twice, but failed in the Senate. Currently, child victims have a limited period of time to challenge their abuser in court. This legislation extends the timeframe for bringing legal action against the abuser. Kesten joined Greenberg in calling for a special legislative session in Albany to pass the act.
“The complexities behind anyone coming forward after being abused are well known to doctors,” said Kesten. “It is much worse for children, many of whom go through a lifetime of therapy and treatment to survive. The Child Victims Act must be passed so that all children and adults can have their day in court, when they are able to confront their abuser. There can be no set date, no statute of limitations, as each individual arrives at this moment in his or her life at different times. It is the victim that needs to be protected, the victim who deserves their day in court. This act makes that a reality.”
Kesten has worked for many years on integrating human rights into the course of everyday life. His previous work as an educator in the New York City public schools and working with at-risk children has familiarized him with the harsh reality of child sexual abuse.
Of the endorsement, Greenberg said: “Robert entered the race for NYS Senate because of his deep commitment to single-payer health care and his belief that we must put people over politics. He believes that elected officials have a responsibility to the people they represent, not to special interests or power brokers. Moreover, he has the deep sense of right and wrong that we need in the people who represent us in Albany.
“Most importantly, for those of us who have made the passage of the Child Victims Act our top priority, Robert is committed to doing everything he can to ensure the act finally passes the NYS Legislature. For that reason, we are endorsing Robert in his race for the New York State Senate. With the primary on Thursday, Sept. 13, we must all do what we can to get Robert on the November ballot and ensure his victory. As a state senator, he will indeed be a champion for all of us.”
Harckham received the endorsement of six Westchester Democrats in his quest to win the September primary – two key members of the Assembly and four members of Westchester County’s Board of Legislators. They say it is Harckham’s experience and record of legislative accomplishment that make him the most qualified candidate for the seat.
Assemblymembers Thomas Abinanti and Sandy Galef, and County Legislator Catherine Borgia, Majority Leader Catherine Parker, Majority Whip MaryJane Shimsky and Vice Chairperson Alfreda Williams all endorsed Harckham.
“I am proud to receive the support of Assemblymembers Sandy Galef and Tom Abinanti, who recognize that experience matters,” said Harckham. “I look forward to serving as the partner in the State Senate that they currently lack, and to pass important bills like the Reproductive Health Act, the Child Victims Act, and Red Flag legislation to remove firearms temporarily from people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. Together, we will fight for Hudson Valley values.”
“I am pleased to stand with Pete Harckham as the Democratic candidate for the New York State Senate and to be my state senator,” said Abinanti. “Endorsing Pete may be one of the few things Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo and I agree on this year. I have known Pete for more than 10 years, and I saw how effective he could be when he and I served together on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. An environmentalist, Pete demonstrated his concern for clean drinking water and his ability to move government in the effort to build necessary infrastructure to deal with the sewage leaks into Peach Lake.”
Abinanti also noted that “Harckham is a leader who can bring people together. He showed it as the Westchester County legislators’ majority leader. He won and was re-elected in a district that had a Republican legislator before him and after he left,” he said.
“I am happy to stand with Pete Harckham in his run for State Senate and I admired his work during his time as legislator and majority leader on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, added Galef. “His willingness to fight for people who may not have a voice and his commitment to stand up for what is just, regardless of political consequence, makes Pete a fearless progressive champion.
“He successfully fought housing discrimination in Westchester at a time when some would have preferred to turn a blind eye, and then he helped to fund affordable housing for seniors, our local workforce and the working poor. Having that background of experience and meaningful accomplishment is so important to being an effective legislator. I am looking forward to seeing what he achieves as our next state senator.”
“I am grateful to my former colleagues on the Board of Legislators for their support,” said Harckham. “I look forward to working with them in the Senate to continue to advocate for progressive policies that will benefit all of our constituents.”
“I’m delighted to stand with Pete Harckham, a dedicated, effective, progressive public servant who I’m proud to call a friend and colleague,” added Borgia. “Together we fought to oppose both the Spectra and AIM pipelines, and worked to move Westchester County to embrace renewable energy. Let’s restore Democratic values to New York by electing Pete to the State Senate.”
“In the last year, we’ve won major victories in the Hudson Valley,” noted Parker. “We elected George Latimer Westchester County executive, defended his seat in blow-out fashion with Shelley Mayer, flipped four seats in the Westchester County Legislature, and elected Robert Langley Putnam County sheriff. We can build on that momentum this November by flipping the 40th State Senate District and electing a great progressive, Pete Harckham, who will give us the decisive vote we need to elect Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins as the majority leader of the State Senate next year, and flip the Republican Party’s current one-vote advantage.”
“I stand with Pete because Pete has fought for a clean environment, affordable child care and fixing our infrastructure,” said Shimsky. “But progressive beliefs are not enough – we need elected officials who know how to get things done. Pete has worked cooperatively with government officials to build affordable housing. He quickly rose to leadership on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, where he became known for his integrity and his effectiveness. And his time working for New York State has given him the skill set to make that level of government work for our communities. I stand with Pete because Pete is the kind of leader we need to stand with us.”
New York State Senate District 40 includes parts of northern Westchester (Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Sleepy Hollow, Somers and Yorktown), Putnam (Brewster, Carmel, Patterson and Southeast) and Dutchess (Beekman, Pawling) counties.
