By Dan Murphy
After the election of George Latimer as county executive in 2017, and with the election of 13 democrats on the County Board of Legislators that same year, it was only a matter of time until democrats decided to “clean house” of some of the democratic legislators who worked with former County Executive Rob Astorino and republicans on the County Board for more than four years, and denying democrats from holding a working majority on the County Board.
County Legislators Mike Kaplowitz and Virginia Perez were both asked politely to “move on.” Kaplowitz retired after more than 20 years of honorable public service, and this year, Perez decided not to seek re-election after eight years of defying the odds and beating the democratic machine in southwest Yonkers with her wins.
So this year there will be an open County Board seat in southwest Yonkers, and three democrats are vying to replace Perez. They are London Reyes, who challenged Perez two years ago in a democratic primary; former County Legislator Jose Alvarado, who lost to Perez eight years ago; and Lucy Casanova, a community activist and well-respected leader in southwest Yonkers.
The Yonkers Democratic Party, and more specifically the democratic ward leaders in southwest Yonkers, endorsed Alvarado to become the next county legislator. This decision surprised many democrats, who were not pleased with an Alvarado comeback. Several of those Yonkers democrats reached out to Yonkers Rising, with one asking, “If they wanted to get rid of Virginia, this is who they replace her with?”
Reyes is running on that theme, and many other issues that he believes are not being discussed or fixed. Reyes, like Perez, does not have the support of the democratic party establishment in this election, but he doesn’t care, and has filed 1,150 signatures – three times more the required number of 375. Alvarado has challenged both Reyes and Casanova’s signatures.
“I’m confident I will be on the ballot this time, just as I was two years ago,” said Reyes. “And while my opponent is challenging my petitions, I would ask him what he is afraid of. I’m not challenging anybody’s petitions – let them all run, I plan on beating all comers.”
Reyes has worked for two decades as founder of the non-profit AAA All Stars, which provides hope, positive activities and opportunities for youth who would otherwise be on the street, and by creating better opportunities to improve themselves academically, athletically and artistically.
Reyes is running on the thee “As:” affordable housing, affordable health care and affordable child care. “Affordable housing is by far the number-one issue that I hear about when I go out to collect signatures and campaign,” he said. “Affordable housing isn’t affordable.
“I also find it unbelievable that in a city of 200,000, we have one health clinic that is open two days a week. That’s it, and it’s the only place that people with no health care can go to for treatment. The lack of affordable health care where I live in southwest Yonkers leads to the mental problems and socioeconomic issues we see in our neighborhoods. All of us in the community suffer the consequences and we can do better.”
Child care has always been an issue in the district, and in the race for county legislator. “The subsidies have been cut (by former Astorino in his budget and voted for by Perez),” said Reyes. “In some cases, child care is more for a family than is state college tuition. There are no child care options that fit into most families’ budgets, and it has been a problem for years and continues to be an issue that has not been resolved. It wasn’t resolved by Jose Alvarado when he was on the County Board, nor was it solved by Virginia Perez.
“And that’s what this campaign is about. Investing in the lives of regular people, not just the developer, or those with a job in city government. We do a great job of taking care of them. I’m running to help the people who live with me on Nodine Hill.”
Reyes said voters in the district remember Alvarado, “but they remember him because they voted him out of office eight years ago and they wonder why are they putting him up again and why they would promote someone to run again that they have rejected. That’s the million-dollar question,” he said.
Reyes said he sees similarities between the race between Alvarado and Perez eight years ago, where Perez was an unknown candidate who defeated the incumbent, Alvarado, who was backed by the party. “We have seen this movie before,” he said. “Jose Alvarado was first elected in 2001. This district wants change, and change will not come by bringing back Jose because the same problems still exist.
“We want change, not failed representation. I am an independent democrat, and it drives some people crazy that I’m not part of the establishment and I don’t have a city job. But I am a homeowner who wants everyone to pay their fair share before I am asked again to pay more taxes. There is a split in the democratic party, some want Jose and some do not.
“A lot of voters are starting to understand that this is another political game, and that is why southwest Yonkers continues to suffer,” continued Reyes. “I want to help solve the issues in my community, period. That is why I’m running. I want to feel safe in the community, regardless of what time I’m walking home.
“Many people in this district are not paid a living wage. Let’s talk about the real issues, instead of the smoke and mirrors that we usually get.”
While the petitioning process is over, the challenging of opponents’ petitions is not. Candidates have until the end of this week to challenge the petitions of an opponent. In discussions with several Yonkers democrats, it appears that most candidates filed enough valid signatures to get on the democratic primary ballot, which this year will be held June 25.
The most buzz is around the petitions of Karen Beltran, who is running for mayor and trying to get on the ballot to challenge Mayor Mike Spano in a democratic primary. We reached out to Beltran, who told Yonkers Rising “I’m confident about he quality of my petitions and I didn’t challenge anyone’s petitions because its about a choice and I respect anyone who collected enough signatures. The Board of Elections has the task of determining their validity.”
Ivy Reeves also submitting the required number signatures to the BOE. Other races of interest include three democrats running in the third council district, and the first council district.
