Some Opposition Among Yonkers Dems in Anointing Mike Spano Next Mayor

 

 While there has been a major push in recent months to lay the groundwork for a Mike Spano for mayor run in 2011, some rumblings and quiet opposition can be heard among Yonkers Democrats.

Some Yonkers Dems, like many Dems throughout Westchester County, were shocked and surprised that County Executive Andy Spano received and accepted the Conservative Party line. These Democrats do not believe that Dems should be taking the Conservative line based on the Conservative social beliefs on abortion and gay marriage.

Most importantly, the several Yonkers Dems we spoke to said that they saw Andy’s conservative endorsement as a deal brokered between the Spanos — with Andy getting the Conservative line and Mike, with the help of brother Nick, getting Andy’s support for Yonkers mayor in two years.

“I don’t want the Democratic endorsement for mayor in two years to be based on some political deal made for the Conservative Party. It stinks,” said one prominent Yonkers Dem.

The two biggest and most probable Yonkers Democrats standing in Mike’s way are Council President Chuck Lesnick and County Legislator and Yonkers GOP Chair Ken Jenkins. Both Lesnick and Jenkins have re-elections this year, with Jenkins expected to win easy. More on the Lesnick race in next post

The Insanity of Minor Parties Reaches Into Yonkers Council Races

 

  Mario Degiorgio Gets Conservative Line

I’ve been railing against the two major, minor parties’ involvement in this year’s elections for the past two months. On the county side, the Westchester Conservative Party’s endorsement of Andy Spano for County Executive has lit a firestorm over this issue, and while its glad to see people are taking a good look at the Conservative party, it’s shameful how County Conservative Chairwoman Gail Burns handed the line to Andy Spano, against the wishes of her rank and file Conservative — 95 percent of whom wanted Rob Astorino to get their line.

The minor parties have now reached Yonkers and the chaos has just begun. First the Conservatives in Yonkers nominated Jim Castro-Blanco to be their nominee for City Council President — no surprise there.

Democrat Mario Degiorgio, running in the Fourth Council District race, received the Conservative party endorsement, along with Republican John Larkin in the Sixth District, and Virginia Perez in the Second District.

The two surprises here were Degiorgio and Perez getting the Conservative line. Degiorgio is running against Republicans Dennis Shepard and John Rubbo, with Shepard and Degiorgio the two front runners. Shepard has the support of Mayor Phil Amicone, and the nomination of Degiorgio is a minor slight to him.

Similar for Virginia Perez, who continues to build momentum in her campaign to replace Sandy Annabi. Annabi has all but endorsed Perez to replace her on the council, and the two are running as a dangerous duo — with Perez running for the Second Council District and Annabi running for County Legislator against Jose Alvarado. Both races are to represent Southwest Yonkers so look for a knock on the door from Perez and Annabi soon.

The Independence Party is even more of a mess — see the next Rising Times post.

Conservatives Revolt Against Spano Endorsement!

Rob Astorino-leading conservative revolt

 

 

Rank and file Westchester Conservatives held a press conference this weekend to protest their Chairwoman Gail Burns and her decision to give the Conservative line to Andy Spano.

Many of the Conservative District leaders, and local town,village and city chairs, are refusing to collect signatures on Cons petitions with Andy’s name on it.

This means that Burns and her supporters will have to get the signatures themselves.

County Execuitve candidate Rob Astorino, who has the Republican and Independence Party lines issue the following statement:

 

“The Westchester County Conservative Party was hijacked by those who would put personal interest above fiscal reform.  Every person with knowledge of this race knows I am the fiscal conservative.

 ”Andy Spano’s spending policies are antithetical to those who care about responsible fiscal policy.  Mr. Spano raised property taxes almost 60% in the last seven years alone, and he doubled county spending during his 12-year tenure.  His budget is larger than the budgets of 87 nations.  Thousands of struggling taxpayers and small businesses have voted with their feet by moving to Connecticut to avoid the Spano taxes,” said Astorino.

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.

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.

All Signs Lead to Mike Spano for Yonkers Mayor

 

Mike Spano-the next Mayor of Yonkers?

  Nick Spano working hard for brother Mike for mayor in 2011?

The recent political shennanigans in Yonkers and in Westchester are being viewed by many as having one desired goal — the election of Assemblyman Mike Spano as the next Mayor of Yonkers in 2011.

The Mike Spano for Mayor talk has been tossed around for some time, but lately the Spanos, led by Nick Spano, have been hard at work laying the groundwork for Mike’s run for mayor in two years, as a Democrat (remember Mike switched parties two years ago, some believe to run for mayor.)

The recent possibility that Andy Spano will get the conservative party line has much to do with Mike Spano for Mayor – -many believe. The scenario has Nick pow wowing with Andy, and Nick reaching out to longtime ally Gail Burns, the county conservative chair, to give the Conservative line to Andy. In return, Nick gets Andy’s help in two years in Mike’s mayoral run.

It appears that Nick Spano was ready to run for county executive if Andy didn’t run this year; Spanos never challenge Spanos. Nick still has his eye on the county exec’s seat four years from now, and we have also heard that Nick is considering switching party’s for that run!

There are two obstacles in Mike Spano becoming the next Yonkers mayor. One is Council President Chuck Lesnick. If Lesnick wins re-election this year, he becomes the front runner for mayor, if he wants it. If he had his pick, Lesnick would like to replace Nita Lowey as Westchester’s congressman when she retires.

The second obstacle is Ken Jenkins, county legislator and Yonkers Dem Chair. Jenkins, the rising star in Westchester politics, may want to run for mayor in two years, but has other options — including becoming the next chair of the County Board, and/or the next County Dem Chairman. Ken will be encouraged by the Spano camp to set his sights on White Plains instead of Yonkers City Hall.

Mayor Phil Amicone’s choice as his next successor will also play a role. Remember there is no love lost between Phil and Mike, with Amicone beating Mike in a bloody GOP primary for mayor six years ago.