Can the GOP Pick up any Seats? Will Dems Sweep All 17?
By Dan Murphy
All 17 seats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators are up for re-election on Nov. 2, but only a handful have any opposition, and even fewer are competitive. Many Westchester residents and voters may not realize that democrats currently hold a 16-1 supermajority on the county board.
The 17 elections to the county BOL can go three different ways. Democrats can hold on to their massive 16-1 supermajority, or republicans can pick up a seat or two, or the “Blue Wave” of progressive-indivisible democratic support in Westchester will continue, and democrats will win every countywide office and every seat on the County Board in 2021.
Westchester republicans are running candidates in 7 of 17 BOL seats across the county. They are:
District 1 (Parts of Cortlandt, Yorktown & Peekskill). Democratic Legislator Colin Smith is running against republican Joe Torres. Smith is completing his first, two-year term on the county board. Prior to Smith, republican John Testa held the seat for more than a decade. But since Testa’s departure, the district has become more democrat, and many consider this district now a solid D. But Torres is campaigning.
District 2- (Bedford, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, North Salem, Pound Ridge, part of Somers). Democratic Legislator Kitley Covill is not running for re-election. The democratic nominee is Erika Pierce, legislative aide to County Legislator Kitley Covill. Her republican opponent is Gina Arena, a life long resident of the district, mother of eight, and community advocate. In 2017 Covil defeated then republican legislator Francis Corcoran by 10 points in 2017. Both Arena and Pierce are running active campaigns. This is one race to watch because its an open seat and considered a swing district on the GOP’s best election night.
District 3 (Mount Pleasant, North Castle and parts of Greenburgh and Ossining) Legislator Margaret Cunzio is the only non-democrat on the County Board. She won election in 2017 as a registered conservative and has served with her democratic colleague in a bi-partisan and productive manner. David Vinjamuri is the Democratic candidate, who is actively campaigning and has the support of Indivisible Westchester. This is one race that all political eyes will be on election night. If Cunzio loses, then it will likely be a democratic sweep across the board in Westchester.
District 4 (New Castle, parts of Somers & Yorktown). Democratic Legislator Vedat Gashi is running against republican Robert Brower. Gashi was elected in 2019 after the retirement of long serving Legislator Michael Kaplowitz. Kaplowitz was a moderate democrat who joined with republicans on the County Board and then County Executive Rob Astorino to form a coalition government. That is why some republicans are hopeful, and some democrats concerned, about this race. Strong republican turnout in the local Yorktown race for town board could also impact this race. Perhaps this is one to watch.
District 9 (Parts of Cortlandt, Ossining and Peekskill). Democratic Legislator Catherine Borgia is running against republican Charles Braue. Borgia has served on the BOL since 2012, and she has easily defeated each of her republican opponents every two years.
District 10- (Parts of Eastchester and New Rochelle). Democratic Legislator Damon Maher is running against republican Anthony Giacobbe. Maher won election in 2017, defeating republican legislator Sheila Marcotte, and he easily won re-election in 2019. Maher, one of the more outspoken, progressive members of the county board, is also well-known and active in his district. This district has appeared to shifted democrat quickly over the past four years, providing Giacobbe, who is also active and speaking out on the issues of the day, a steep climb to victory.
District 15 (Parts of Yonkers and Bronxville). Democratic Legislator Ruth Walter is running against republican James Nolan. This race is identified by both parties as the most competitive in 2021. Walter narrowly defeated republican legislator Gordon Burrows in 2019, after narrowly losing to Burrows in 2017.
Walter, a small businesswoman from Bronxville, has worked over the past 2 years to reach her constituents in the East Yonkers portion of the district. But with COVID keeping most of us at home since the spring of 2020, Walter continues to get out her message of what she has done for the residents and voters in all the district.
James Nolan is from Yonkers and making his first run for office. His call to public service, has originated from his activism following the death of his brother, Oakland A’s baseball star Michael Nolan, who was shot and killed in Yonkers in 2015.
James Nolan has worked on issues related to gun violence and drag racing through the Michael Nolan foundation. He has also volunteered in many community outreach programs in Yonkers during the pandemic. And most of all, he is actively campaigning in Yonkers.
Walter is ready for the challenge and is proud to run on her record. “I have a record of accomplishment that I’m proud to run on and look forward to sharing with the voters. Yonkers, and all of my district has been well served for the past 18 months,” said Walter.
The problem that Nolan and all republican candidates face is that County Executive George Latimer is on top of the ticket. Latimer, a popular democrat, is running against republican Christine Sculti for re-election, and could help democratic county board candidates also on the ballot.
The unknown in the BOL races and the election of 2021 is turnout. With Westchester residents having issues like COVID, back to school and flooding on their minds, and with no race for Governor or President to increase turnout, nobody knows what the vote totals will look like. More on the 2021 Westchester elections in the weeks to come. Send your letters to dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com>
