The passing of the Labor Day Weekend points to the start of the political season. Election Day 2019, Nov. 5, is 60 days away. This year’s elections across the county do not have a prominent race at the top of the ballot.
There is no race for president, governor or county executive in Westchester this year, but some voters and political junkies have already taken interest in the several competitive and important races in Westchester this fall. They include election for four seats on the State Supreme Court; races for town supervisor in Eastchester, Harrison and Yorktown; a mayor’s race in Yonkers and Mt. Vernon; and several competitive races for the 17 seats on the County Board of Legislators.
One county republican told us: “This year is important for republicans in Westchester. We need to hold onto what we still have and try to win a new one here or there. It’s like the Alamo this year, we have to fight until the end.”
If I asked our readers to name a prominent elected republican in Westchester, they might say Tony Colavita in Eastchester, Ron Belmont in Harrison, or John Testa from Peekskill on the County Board. All of the other noteworthy republican names in Westchester politics are gone. Rob Astorino was defeated in 2017. Jim Maisano took a job with County Executive George Latimer. In Yonkers, Republican Council President Liam McLaughlin was defeated, as was Sheila Marcotte, also in 2017 – which saw a democratic “blue wave” wash over the counties politics.
If I asked you to give me one Republican who could step up and run for county executive, Colavita would be your best bet. Colavita will seek an eighth term as supervisor and continues to preside over a local government that quietly works to deliver services, control taxes and spending, and deliver quality town services, all without seeking the spotlight. Colavita does have an opponent in democrat Mike Denning, who ran in 2017 and lost to Colavita by a 55 to 45 percent margin.
In Harrison, Belmont is seeking a fourth term as supervisor. Belmont, who won in 2017 with the largest margin of any republican in Westchester during the blue wave election, has a competitive race this fall with Democrat Frank Gordon running on a ticket with Harrison Democrats looking to take control of town government. Belmont remains a popular incumbent and as a 30-year resident and former recreation supervisor will be tough to beat.
In Yorktown, Democrat Ian Gilbert will seek re-election after upsetting Supervisor Michael Grace in 2017. If there were a race this fall that Democrats hope to point to and recapture, it is for Yorktown supervisor. Matt Slater, former aide to State Sen. Terrence Murphy, is running an active campaign.
The Westchester County Board of Legislators has all 17 seats up for election in November. Democrats hold a 13-4 supermajority, and only a few races are competitive. Republican County Legislator and Minority Leader John Testa is retiring. His district, which includes Peekskill, could be a pickup for democrats. Running to succeed Testa is former Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina, a republican, and democrat Colin Smith, a Peekskill councilman.
Another republican County Board seat, in the 15th district, has republican Legislator Gordon Burrows facing a challenge again from democrat Ruth Walker, who came close to defeating Burrows in 2017. Republican County Legislator David Tubiolo in the 14th district of Yonkers and the Fleetwood neighborhood in Mt. Vernon does not have a democratic opponent, but has long been rumored to be changing parties and become a democrat. Look for that to happen after the election.
Legislator Margaret Cunzio, who is a registered conservative, is also running for re-election in the third district, including Mount Pleasant, North Castle and Pleasantville. In the 4th District, which includes New Castle, Somers and Yorktown, longtime County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz is retiring. Former Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace, a republican, is seeking to replace Kaplowitz, along with democrat Vedat Gashi.
And democratic Legislator Damon Maher in the 10th district, including Eastchester, New Rochelle and Tuckahoe, will face an opponent in republican Chris Garitee. The 10th district is the most competitive on the BOL, and a seat that was held by republican Sheila Marcotte for six years.
The cities of Yonkers and Mt. Vernon both have a race for mayor and two council seats. However, both races for mayor are not considered competitive. Mike Spano is running for a third term after an extension of term limits permits him four more years as Yonkers mayor. Spano easily won the democratic primary in June and is the heavy favorite to win again in November. His opponent is republican Mario de Giorgio.
In Mt. Vernon, Mayor Richard Thomas lost the democratic primary to Shawyn PattersonHoward, a political newcomer and director of the YMCA in Yonkers. Patterson’s democratic primary win almost guarantees her election in November; democrats in Mt. Vernon hold a 20-1 advantage in enrollment over republicans. The acting mayor and former City Council President Andre Wallace will be on the republican line for mayor in November.
One slogan in Westchester political races of old was, “As Yonkers goes, so goes the county.” If that is still true, what is happening in Yonkers is bad news for republicans in Westchester’s largest city – and across the county. Yonkers City Councilman John Rubbo, a young republican with a promising future in Yonkers politics, (former County Clerk Len Spano, who recently passed away, pegged Rubbo to be a future mayor of Yonkers) switched parties this week and became a registered Democrat.
County Legislator David Tubiolo is ready to switch parties and become a democrat. And Allie Restiano, a lifelong conservative and a bright young political aide in county government, also recently changed her registration to democrat. While changing parties has happened in Westchester politics before, former District Attorney and now Chief New York Appeals Judge Janet DiFiore, and Spano, switched from republican to democrat in 2007, the defection of these three young republican-conservatives in Yonkers points to a continuing downward cycle for the once mighty Westchester GOP.
But, in an off-year election, with no race for governor, president or county executive to fuel a large voter turnout, republicans are hopeful they can hang on to what they still have left, and maybe win a surprise or two on election night.
