Castro-Blanco, Degiorgio and Perez Nab Conservative Council Endorsements

 

  Mario Degiorgio

Jim Castro-Blanco

Three Yonkers City Council candidates got the Conservative Party endorsement on Thursday. Jim Castro-Blanco got the Council President’s Cons nod, Mario Degiorgio got the Cons line in the 4th council district race, and Virginia Perez got the cons line in the 2nd district.

Castro-Blanco’s getting the cons line for CCP was no surprise. He needs all the lines and votes he can get in his campaign to unseat incumbent CCP Chuck Lesnick.

The races in the 2nd and 4th council were a surprise and important. In the 2nd Democrats Wilson Tererro and Virginia Perez are the two candidates. Tererro got the Yonkers Dems endorsement at the convention. Perez has been quietly building a campaign team and getting some contributions and some support we hear, including that of Councilwoman Sandy Annabi who Perez hopes to replace on the City Council.

Annabi is said to be running for county legislator against Jose Alvarado, and with both the Second Council District and Alvarado’s county leg district being basically the same southwest Yonkers neighborhoods, two alliances have been formed for two elections.

Sandy Annabi and Virginia Perez vs Jose Alvarado and Wilson Tererro. While Tererro is doing the right things, campaigning and being seen everywhere, the Annabi/Perez combination is dangerous. Two primary elections to watch here folks.

In the 4th council district, Dem candidate Mario Degiorgio got the Cons line over Dennis Shepard. Shepard had the support of Mayor Phil Amicone, and the decision of Yonkers Conservatives to endorse Degiorgio is interesting and a slight to the Mayor.

To Degiorgio’s credit, he runs with his experience and contacts from four years ago, he lost to McLaughlin but only by 300 votes in what was deemed a credible campaign.

DiFiore vs. Castro DA’s Race and the Conservative Line

 

While most eyes were on the Conservative Party’s endorsement of Andy Spano for County Executive, Conservatives also made endorsements for all other county races and local races in Yonkers (see previous post for Yonkers Cons thoughts)

Conservatives endorsed Janet DiFiore for District Attorney. DiFiore’s selection, over Tony Castro, was not a surprise. But after the result both campaigns went back and forth over the endorsement. Both DiFiore and Castro are Dems, with DiFiore switching last year, and DiFiore had the Conservative line when she ran four years ago.

Castro blasted DiFiore for taking the Cons line. “When asked by Democratic District Leaders in Lewisboro on Monday, May 11, well in advance of the Democratic county convention, which party endorsements she was seeking, DiFiore said she was seeking only the endorsements of the Democratic and Working Families lines and ruled out seeking the Independence Party line,” Castro said. 

“In a direct response to a follow up question about the Conservative Party endorsement, she specifically said she would not seek it,” said Castro who said he did not seek the Conservative line. (moot point because he had no chance of getting it)

 DiFiore blasted Castro for misleading voters on her actions in seeking the Cons line and also said that Castro did, in fact, seek the Conservative line.

“When I appeared before the Lewisboro Democratic Committee on May 11, I was not seeking the Conservative Party endorsement,” said DiFiore. “Shortly after my appearance in Lewisboro, I was invited to appear before the Conservative Party’s Executive Committee. I appeared on May 27, minutes before Mr. Castro appeared before that same body to request that they designate him as the Conservative Party’s candidate for District Attorney.  I am proud that the Conservative Party chose to endorse my work on behalf of the people of Westchester County over Mr. Castro’s lackluster record,” said DiFiore.

Westchester County Conservative Party Chair Gail Burns also refuted Castro’s claims that he didn’t seek the Cons line. “I am confused and disappointed by Tony Castro’s assertion that he had declined to seek the Conservative Party’s endorsement in his bid for Westchester County District Attorney.  Contrary to Castro’s statements, he actively sought the Conservative Party line for District Attorney this year. Castro expressed no reservations or concerns, personal or political, about running as the Conservative Party nominee; indeed, he specifically asked us to give him the line and our party’s support for his candidacy,” said Burns.

Political Conspiracy Gives Andy Spano Conservative Line

Andy Spano-Conservative?

This ain’t 2001 folks — the times they are a changin’.

On Thursday,  the Westchester Conservative Party met secretly, and in a scene reminiscent of the prior Westchester political escapades, endorsed Andy Spano for re-election as County Executive.

The Conservative’s endorsement for county exec was hijacked by its own chair, Gail Burns, who held the proxies of district leaders necessary to hand the Liberal Democrat Andy Spano the Conservative Party’s nomination.

Although warned about this possibility for weeks (and we shared our warnings with our readers), the fact that it actual happened is still shocking. While we are embarrassed that this is happening again in Westchester, we are overjoyed with the response from rank and file Conservatives, and also from believers in fair government in general.  This ain’t 2001 folks, and the times they are a changing.

Let’s break this endorsement down three ways: Why it was made, Who were the real dealmakers and what happens next.

Why would Gail Burns, a lifelong Conservative, whose father Anthony Aurrichio served as County Conservative Chairman before her, give the endorsement to Andy Spano, a lifelong Democrat, who fired Aurrichio from his county job years ago. Why would she go against her party’s ideology, her fellow district leaders and local chairs, and go against her conscience?

It’s clear that Gail wouldn’t make this rash decision on her own, although that’s what she will probably tell you. Gail worked in the office of former State Senator Nick Spano before landing her current job a few years ago after Nick’s loss to Sen.  Andrea-Stewart Cousins, at Yonkers City Hall in Mayor Phil Amicone’s office.  

Somebody whispered in Gail’s ear to give the Consservative line to Andy.  Who was it? Nick Spano and Mayor Amicone are the two likely culprits because of Burns’ employment situation and loyalties.

Mayor Amicone had nothing to do with Burns’ decision, and wanted the exact opposite to happen, and is feeling the heat to fire Burns (more on this later). Which leaves Nick Spano  as suspect #1.

Why would Nick Spano want Andy to get the Conservative line?  Because Nick is seeking Andy’s support for Nick’s brother Mike Spano, and his quest to become the next Mayor of Yonkers.  Assemblyman Mike switched to a Democrat two years ago, and Andy’s support, and Andy’s ability to get others out of the race, would be a good help to Mike and Nick.

So Nick gives Andy the Conservative Party line, in return for Andy’s support of Mike Spano in two years.  So Nick reaches  long-time political ally Gail Burns, who endorses Andy.

Some bloggers, like Bob Fois, have this conspiracy reaching up to Albany, with former Deputy County Exec Larry Schwartz, who now works for Governor David Paterson, getting the governor to intervene and make a phone call or two.  This also makes sense and could be a result of Nick Spano, with 25 years of experience in the capital and his new role as lobbyist, getting Albany involved.

Burns’ benefit will be a county or state job if she is fired from Yonkers City Hall. This endorsement puts Mayor Amicone is a position he didn’t want to be in and had nothing to do with. Amicone is under pressure from Republicans, furious at Burns for endorsing Andy and not Rob Astorino for county exec and want Burns fired yesterday.

The mayor doesn’t want to start a fight with the Spano by firing Burns, and has his own slate of Republican council candidates this November that he wants elected. If the Mayor ticks off the Spano, they may either not help the GOP candidates or actively work against them.

 

Dealmakers: Nick Spano, Andy Spano, Gail Burns and Larry Schwartz

What Happens Next: 

It appears from the initial backlash that this plan will backfire on Andy Spano and negate any benefit he gets from the Conservative line. Real Democrats are upset that Andy took the line, Independents may be swayed by the appearance of another “fixed election” and vote Astorino.  Republicans and Conservatives may be fired up to make sure Andy doesn’t win and rally to Astornio. This is best case for Astorino.

Another option is that Andy rides out this storm like the others over the years, and this is forgotten about over the summer. He rides the wave of a 100,000 Dem enrollment edge to re-election.

Although these actions are not criminal, we wonder what impact if any, this has on the US Attorney’s probe of political corruption in Westchester, long overdue to pop.

This endorsement not only hurts Astorino, but his supporters, or the anti-Andy crowd. County Independence Party Chairman Dr. Giulio Cavallo stuck out his neck and supported Astorino.  The Rethinking County Government crowd, led by Sam Zherka, cannot be pleased with this result.

One closing thought: can we all agree to this rule about minor party elections — the same candidate should not have both the Conservative Party and Working Families Party line for any election. Their political ideologies are at complete opposites, with both trying to rub out the others existence.

Yet, Andy Spano will have both lines this November.