Eastchester REVIEW THE
November 10, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 45 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Latimer upends Astorino, wins county executive race Maher defeats Marcotte for District 10 seat By SIBYLLA CHIPAZIWA Assistant Editor
Photo/Andrew Dapolite
By CHRISTIAN FALCONE Editor-in-Chief Republicans in Westchester didn’t stand a chance on Tuesday night, as a Democratic voter surge culminated with the ushering in of state Sen. George Latimer to the highest elected office in the county. The failed re-election for incumbent County Executive Rob Astorino, a two-term Republican, was decisive and swift. As the results began to pour in shortly after 9 p.m. on Nov. 7, the numbers quickly shifted in Latimer’s favor, and what materialized into a double-digit margin early on never tightened. It was a sobering night at the polls for Republicans throughout Westchester, who were left to regroup amid fears that the turnout was in direct response to President Donald Trump’s policies.
Termed the “Trump effect,” it was too much to overcome even for Astorino, who had defied odds in his previous election victories despite a 2-to-1 voter registration disadvantage for Republicans. According to the unofficial county Board of Elections tallies, Latimer captured 116,767 votes, equating to 57 percent of the popular vote, compared to Astorino’s 89,463 votes, or 43 percent. The turnout shows a stark turnaround from when Astorino successfully won re-election in 2013. With his biggest win to date, Latimer continues his unbeaten streak of 18 consecutive elections, which started off in 1987 in a run for the Rye City Council. He then successfully worked his way through the Westchester County Board of Legislators and into the New York state Legislature. Latimer has held some level of
elected office for 30 years. Joined by a packed house of supporters at the Coliseum White Plains, Latimer offered victory remarks to raucous cheers from the audience. “We are going to run this county well,” he said. “We’re going to run it on progressive values; we’re going to keep your taxes in line, but it’s not going to be just about taxes.” Latimer said his administration would be about jobs, housing, transportation, health care and also taxes. “We are going to show you in Westchester what we’re going to show you in the nation in three years,” he added, offering a prelude to the 2020 presidential race, “how to run America the right way.” The campaign was hard fought but also full of mudslinging from both sides. Astorino, with a significant war chest, outspent
Latimer by a 3-to-1 margin. At the Crowne Plaza White Plains, Astorino awaited the results alongside his supporters. He held out for most of the night hoping the numbers would eventually swing in his favor. But it wasn’t meant to be. At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Astorino called Latimer to concede the race and offer his congratulations. “George and I have been friends for quite a long time and served together as well,” he said. “And in the heat of an election… we’re glad we’re at this point so we can go back to being friends…. I look forward to working with him and his team to ensure a very smooth transition in January.” The county executive then addressed his friends, family and supporters. LATIMER continued on page 9
Following a nationwide voting trend, Damon Maher, a Democrat, defeated Westchester County Legislator Sheila Marcotte, an Eastchester Republican. According to unofficial results from the county Board of Elections, Maher garnered 6,482 votes, or 53 percent, to Marcotte’s 5,713, or 47 percent. Maher, a 23-year resident of New Rochelle, was at the Coliseum White Plains when he discovered that he was beating the three-term incumbent Marcotte. “I’m still kind of numb,” he told the Review on Wednesday morning. “I ran intending to win; I didn’t run to be another sacrificial lamb.” Serving as his first foray into politics, Maher said experiencing the campaign trail was “wonderful.” “I was going door to door and met a lot of really nice people,” he added. During the campaign, Maher followed the countywide Democratic playbook of aligning Westchester Republicans with President Donald Trump. He specifically tied Marcotte and County Executive Rob Astorino to Trump’s nationalistic views and agenda. “First of all, we should have people reflecting our values at all levels of government,” said Maher, a managing partner Levy Davis & Maher, a Manhattan-based law firm that focuses on employment disputes. Maher said his platform reflects what he believes are Westchester’s values: fair and affordable housing; banning gun shows on county-owned property; and
a county free of xenophobia and fear-mongering. He also supports an immigration act, enacting a women’s clinic access bill that has been proposed at the state level, and funding for daycare. But ultimately, this election cycle was likely more a backlash against Trump than anything else. “I think the most important factor was last year’s election,” he said. “A lot of people had a strong feeling that what happened doesn’t reflect the values of our community in Westchester and this district.” Maher added that Marcotte supports much of Trump’s views. “I was the complete opposite,” he said. “We didn’t have to get into the nastiness of personalities, because it was very clear that we were very different. More voters agreed with me this time around.” The county’s 10th legislative district covers the town of Eastchester, the village of Tuckahoe, and most of the city of New Rochelle north of Interstate 95. County legislators are elected to serve two-year terms. In 2016, Marcotte received a salary of $57,977. Marcotte could not be reached for comment, as of press time. CONTACT: sibylla@hometwn.com
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