By Dan Murphy
Preparing for another election year with a ‘Blue Wave’ ready to hit the shores of Westchester on November 6, republicans across the county are preparing to run against a progressive and indivisible Democratic party, and to focus on New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and Congressional candidate and Rock Star Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who ironically, attended the same high school as Murphy-Yorktown High School.
The big race for republicans in Westchester this fall is the State Senate race in the 40th District, currently held by Sen. Terrence Murphy. Democrats will decide on September 13, who their candidate will be, but Murphy’s campaign has already begun to highlight the differences between himself and former County Legislator Pete Harckham and progressive -outsider Robert Kesten, the two democrats seeking the nomination in the 40th District.
In 2014, Murphy held off a challenge from Democrats including NYC Mayor De Blasio to defeat him and give control of the State Senate to democrats. De Blasio personally raised money for a state senate campaign committee supporting democratic candidates, including Murphy’s opponent in 2014-Justin Wagner.
Since then the battle between Murphy and De Blasio has continued, including a few exchanges in Albany over Charter Schools and Capital funds for the subways. Politico reported this week that De Blasio has launched a Federal political action committee, Fairness PAC, to support candidates across the country and state senate democratic candidates in New York.
But according to the Politico story, several upstate senate democratic candidates don’t want the money and don’t want De Blasio involved in their campaigns. “A Quinnipiac poll conducted in May shows 42 percent of upstate voters disapprove of de Blasio’s job performance, with just 28 percent saying they approve. His disapproval rating among suburban voters in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange and Rockland counties is 54 percent. New York City is the only place where a majority of voters approve of his job performance,” writes Politico reporters LAURA NAHMIAS and GLORIA PAZMINO.
“The minute this mayor leaves the five boroughs, he’s underwater politically,” Republican political operative E. O’Brien Murray said. The story goes onto discuss “an argument that’s being made by Democrats chattering behind the mayor’s back — that the mayor is more hindrance than help in most places outside of New York City.”
Neither Kesten nor Harckham were mentioned in the Politico story about whether they would accept De Blasio-PAC dollars. But the Murphy campaign has already highlighted the fact that De Blasio’s preferred political consulting firm, BerlinRosen, is working for Kesten’s campaign for state senate.
“Senator Murphy has said it time and time again, the Hudson Valley is not for sale,” Murphy campaign spokesperson Ruiz Jiménez said. “Mister Kesten’s poor choice of campaign teams indicates that he is onboard with bringing back the Bill de Blasio pay-to-play corruption machine to Westchester and the Hudson Valley.”
“BerlinRosen uses its connection in City Hall to push the interests of its clients who have business before the City, who in turn have donated to both of the Mayor’s non-profits which are also run by BerlinRosen, as well as Democratic County Committees eligible to accept donations far in excess of the local limit, who then funnel the dirty money to candidates who retain BerlinRosen’s services,” stated the Murphy release. In 2014, the Putnam County Democratic Committee accepted a $50,000 donation from NYC Supermarket magnet, billionaire, and sometime republican John Catsimatidis, who among others made donations against Murphy at De Blasio’s request. Those funds were used against Murphy, but he won re-election anyway by a 53%-43% margin.
Murphy’s campaign also took a swipe at Harckham last month, accusing the former County Legislator of working on the New Tappan Zee bridge project but having no knowledge of when the opening would occur last year. The Journal News filed Freedom of Information requests to the State for documents and emails related to the new TZ Bridge, and Harckham’s emails were included. Harckham worked as the ‘Director of Intergovernmental Affairs,’ for the new Tappan Zee Bridge project.
Martha Ruiz Jiménez, the spokesperson for Senator Terrence Murphy’s campaign said, “How was Mr. Harckham hired? Was the position advertised? Was there a civil service test? Did Joe Percoco have anything to do with it? And did Mr. Harckham’s position with the administration end before, or after the Governor recruited him into the Senate race? Taxpayers deserve answers.”
Harckham, who worked for Governor Andrew Cuomo in two positions in state government, and was characterized by his democratic opponent Robert Kesten as Cuomo’s ‘owned candidate’ in the race, lives in the South Salem community in Northern Westchester that Joe Percoco lived. Percoco served as the Governor’s closest advisors and was recently found guilty of accepting more than $300,000 in bribes from companies doing business with the state. Harckham was listed as a possible witness in the Percoco trial but was never called to testify.
Murphy recently picked up two union endorsements, including the The New York State Pipe Trades, and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local Lodge No. 5. Murphy was raised in a union home growing up.
Murphy has survived the first Blue Wave in 2016. With President Trump on the top of the ticket, Murphy defeated Alison Boak by a 57%-43% margin. Look for another progressive from NYC with Westchester ties to be mentioned and highlighted in the weeks to come. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, running for Congress in the 14th District, (Queens & The Bronx), is a graduate of Yorktown High School and since her upset victory in the democratic primary against Congressman Joe Crowley has been touring the country supporting democratic-progressive candidates.
Recent fund-raising numbers show Kesten with $68,988 on hand; Harckham with $41,159 and Murphy with $418,946.
