Buchwald Leads in Westchester; Who is Mondaire Jones?
By Dan Murphy
With the 2019 elections now over, most of the political speculation in Westchester now focuses on who will be lucky enough to replace Congresswoman Nita Lowey in 2020. Lowey, who has represented Westchester for 31 years, announced last month that she will retire at the end of this year.
Lowey’s 17th district now includes northern Westchester, Rye, and Rockland County.
The national and local media focused on Chelsea Clinton as Lowey’s replacement, but Chelsea – in the middle of promoting her new book, co-authored with her mom, former First Lady Hillary Clinton – told Whoopi Goldberg on “The View” that she will not be running.
“I’m not considering running for Congresswoman Lowey’s seat,” said Clinton. “Someone has asked me some version of this question literally as long as I can remember. I share that because I think it’s a question that shouldn’t just be asked of people whose last name is Clinton. Right now, the answer’s no.”
In Westchester, Assemblyman David Buchwald has begun to collect endorsements and make a case for his selection as the democratic nominee. White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, North Castle Town Supervisor Michael Schiliro, Mt. Kisco Mayor Gina Picinich and Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman have all endorsed Buchwald.
“David and I have been colleagues and friends since he joined the White Plains Common Council,” said Roach. “His knowledge, perseverance and work ethic have served him and our community well He has been relentless in advocating for reasonable gun safety rules, equal rights, infrastructure investments and improving our environment.”
“I’m all in for David Buchwald to be our next congressperson,” added Schiliro. “Throughout his career, Assemblyman Buchwald has been a responsive and trusted ally, as we’ve worked together to save taxpayers money, improve our libraries, and serve the people of North Castle. I know he will be ready to undo the damage that has been done at the federal level. David will be a leader we can count on in Congress.”
Picinich said that, at a time of such divisiveness and discord in Washington, Westchester needs a proven advocate representing the views and values of the community.
“Representative Lowey has been a tremendous voice for us in Congress, and I am confident David Buchwald will follow her legacy and deliver for Mount Kisco,” she said. “Assemblyman Buchwald has been a good friend to Mount Kisco, and he’s the leader we need fighting for us in Washington. I am proud to stand with David during his Congressional campaign.”
“David Buchwald has always fought for our values, and that’s why I’m endorsing him for Congress,” added Zuckerman. “From combatting the ridiculous (state and local tax) limit, to advocating for our environment, to protecting a woman’s right to choose, to promoting ethics in government, David has sought to better the lives of everyone in Rye Town and New York.”
Buchwald said he is proud to have the support of these local leaders.
“Together, we have worked to improve the lives of people across New York’s 17th Congressional District, and I would be honored to have the opportunity in Congress to continue working together on behalf of area residents,” he said. “From standing up for equal rights to advocating for government transparency to fighting for our shared Democratic values, I am ready to deliver for Rockland and Westchester counties.”
While Buchwald, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2012, is campaigning, another Congressional candidate is making noise in Rockland County, which now makes up 60 percent of the 17th District. His name is Mondaire Jones.
Jones, who if elected would be the first openly LGBTQ black member of Congress, was set to challenge Lowey in a democratic primary and announced his running before Lowey stated her upcoming retirement. Since her announcement, Jones has picked up a few endorsements and reported raising $218,000 in recent campaign reports.
The LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, recently endorsed Jones.
“While Mondaire is talking about the progressive issues most important to his constituents – health care access, universal childcare and climate change – he is also running a historic race that will be watched closely by LGBTQ people across the country,” said Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund.
The LGBTQ Victory Fund has also endorsed Mayor Pete Buttigieg for president of the United States.
“Mondaire will become the first openly LGBTQ black member of Congress when elected, becoming a crucial voice in a Congress with too few LGBTQ people and people of color,” said Parker. “Our country needs more LGBTQ leaders like Mondaire who can positively influence the direction of the next U.S. Congress – benefiting not just his district but all Americans.”
Jones recently opened a campaign office in Sleepy Hollow, and received the endorsement from six local elected officials in Rockland, and one from Westchester: Peekskill City Councilwoman Vanessa Agudelo.
“I’m proud to have the support of local leaders and activists from the community I call home,” said Jones. “I was raised in Rockland, attended East Ramapo public schools, and I’m looking forward to making my case to every voter in Westchester and Rockland on my plan to bring bold, progressive leadership to Washington.
“As a 32-year-old black man who attended the East Ramapo public schools, people like me usually don’t get anywhere near Congress. I was raised by a single mother in Rockland County who worked multiple jobs and still needed a Section 8 housing voucher; this work is personal for me. We need bold, progressive leadership in Congress: guaranteed health care, a Green New Deal, student debt forgiveness, and a full restoration of the state and local tax deductions for families in Westchester and Rockland.”
Jones also has the support of many Progressive, indivisible democrats in the district.
“I’m looking forward to making my case to every voter in Westchester and Rockland on my plan to bring bold, progressive leadership to Washington,” he said. “There’s never been an openly gay, black member of Congress – because people like me don’t usually get anywhere close. But we’re about to make history.”
Two other democrats have announced their intentions to run for Lowey’s seat in Congress: State Sen. David Carlucci and Jo-Anna Rodriquez-Wheeler.
Carlucci, who represents Ossining and a large part of Rockland County in the State Senate, was also a member of the Independent Democratic Conference. The IDC worked with republicans in the State Senate to deny democrats statewide of a majority in the chamber, and to deny Andrea Stewart-Cousins the majority leader’s post for six years.
One democrat we spoke to, who has knowledge of the upcoming congressional democratic primary, said, “While Carlucci has the IDC problem to deal with, he is very well known in Rockland and should be taken seriously.”
Jones came out swinging, saying, “David Carlucci is hoping Democrats have a very short memory, and as someone who is gay, black, and a graduate of East Ramapo public schools, Carlucci’s betrayal is personal.”
“I’m running for Congress because we need a Democratic champion in Washington – and Carlucci is just the opposite,” said Jones. “The State Senator turned his back on us when he empowered Republicans as a member of the so-called Independent Democratic Conference. For eight years, he helped to block a woman’s right to choose, civil rights for the LGBTQ community, public education funding, criminal justice reform, and so much more that could have improved the lives of millions of New Yorkers. We need bold, progressive leaders in Washington to stand up to Republican extremists and fight for guaranteed health care, full restoration of the SALT deduction, a Green New Deal and debt-free college. What we don’t need is a Trump Democrat.”
A fourth democrat to announce is Chappaqua resident Jo-Anna Rodriquez-Wheeler, who has volunteered on many democratic campaigns and was a delegate for presidential candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016. She moved to Chappaqua with her husband and two children last year.
Many Westchester democrats say they believe other candidates will step forward and run for Lowey’s seat, but nobody can predict who that democrat might be. One said a celebrity would likely announce their run, “Someone like Richard Gere, but he doesn’t live in the district,” said a democratic insider.
Let the political games begin.
