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Do you realize next Tuesday, Nov. 5 is Election Day?
Do you know who and what is on the ballot? There were many years when I stood in the election booth feeling hesitant to complete my whole ballot because I didn’t know the candidates—especially judges. For today, I offer my thoughts on candidates for the county, judicial and local races.
Being active in local politics has many benefits, including a familiarity with the candidates. In the interest of helping my fellow voters prepare for Election Day, I waive my right to a secret ballot—offering you my opinion and providing links to help you read more on the candidates and issues. Clearly I am not impartial, but the League of Women Voters is.
County Executive: Noam Bramson—I’m a big fan. Here’s a link to a closing statement he made during a debate earlier this month that sums up well the reasons I support Noam. This Journal News article and video offers an in-depth comparison of the two candidates. Taxes are the first question asked in the video interview—a must watch.
County Clerk: Tim Idoni is running for re-election—and that’s great news for taxpayers. He has saved us $5M by reducing staff without layoffs, made county government more efficient with innovative electronic systems, reduced operating expenses by 18%, and eliminated document backlogs with active daily management.
County Legislator: Catherine Borgia—hardworking, responsive to her constituents, and reflects my family’s values. In her first term Catherine took the lead on several important pieces of legislation designed to keep Westchester families healthy and safe, and to increase opportunities for small business to succeed while making smart environmental decisions. She understands the importance of finding balance in the triple bottom-line: people, profits and planet. The NYS Supreme Court 9th District covers Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Rockland counties. NYS Supreme Court judges are elected to 14 year terms. These are the 9th District candidates I enthusiastically support:
Janet Malone Maria S. Vazquez-Doles John Colangelo Victor Grossman
County Court Justice is a 10-year term. David Everett will do a great job. He’s an incredibly decent guy with a wealth of experience.
Kathy Davidson is running for re-election as Westchester Family Court Judge. She is running unopposed and is very well regarded by all who know her.
Nancy Quinn Koba is running for re-election as Ossining Town Justice. Nancy is widely recognized as smart, fair and well-tempered for her role as Town Justice.
And on to my friends running for positions on Ossining boards…
Sue Donnelly is running unopposed for Town Supervisor. I find Sue to be collaborative and accessible. I greatly admire the Town Hall meeting format that she initiated which demonstrates her commitment to engaging the public on issues that matter to our community.
Northern Wilcher is running for re-election on the Town Council. Northern serves our community with a kind and soft-spoken smile.
Kim Jeffrey is seeking her first term on the Town Council. When the primary election posed a bit of challenge for these seats, I wrote this glowing endorsement of my friend Kim. We share a lot of values, and yet sometimes disagree with the best way to achieve them.
Manuel Quezada & Bob Daraio, my colleagues on the board, are seeking re-election as Ossining Village Trustees. I hope you will join me in welcoming them each to their second term. Victoria Gearity
Village Trustee, Mother, Wife, Voter VictoriaGearity.com
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