Petioning Begins: No Surprises; Primaries Coming in September

The petition season is well under way in Yonkers and across the county. So far there have been no surprises, including any efforts to get referendums on the ballot — is Rethinking County Government waiting, or taking a pass?

In Yonkers, democrats and republicans alike are out getting their required signatures to get on the ballot. We hear that so far, all of the interested candidates are getting more than enough signatures, which will result in some primaries.

Yonkers dems are heading towards two very interesting primaries, for City Council in the Second District, and for County Board in the 17th, both representing southwest Yonkers. At the Yonkers Dem convention, Wilson Tererro was nominated to be the candidate for the Second Council District, and Jose Alvarado was nominated for County Board.  

In the Second Council District, to replace Sandy Annabi (who is term-limited on the council and running for County Board) Tererro is joined by Virginia Perez and Jose Roman. Perez, running as a team with Annabi, has enough signatures and will be on the ballot. We spoke with Roman at a recent council meeting, and he also has more than enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Roman’s experience in the district as a community organizer gives him the benefit of knowing many of the voters in the second. Perez is an attractive candidate whose main issues about crime and gangs also resonate with the residents in southwest Yonkers.

Tererro is also a strong candidate, with strong ties to the Latino business community, and who is getting the help and support of the Yonkers Dem Party and Chairman Ken Jenkins.

This one can go anyway, with all three having a legitimate shot, and remember whoever wins the primary wins the election in this huge Democratic majority district.

In the Fourth Council District, to replace Liam McLaughlin, Republicans Dennis Shepard and John Rubbo both have enough signatures to get on the ballot, meaning a GOP primary in September. Shepard will have the support of the Yonkers GOP and Chairman John Jacono, while Rubbo will run as the outsider. We also keep hearing the Rubbo will get the Independence Party line.

The 17th County Board race pits Annabi vs., Alvarado, both experienced elected officials. Alvarado has the support of the Yonkers Dem Party, and has the full support of County Executive Andy Spano.

Annabi is running as the outsider, but knows the district after representing it on the council for eight years. She is an enganging campaigner, and together with Perez, is making a lot of noise with their effort to join forces and mount an insurgent campaign

Again, all other candidates out getting signatures with all getting on the ballot.

John Rubbo — Independence Line Falls Into His Lap?

 

John Rubbo-special delivery from Vazquez & Cavallo?

John Rubbo, the young late entry into the race for City Council in the Fourth District to replace Liam McLaughlin, appears to be getting a gift of the Independence line, assuring him of a place on the ballot in November.

Rubbo is trying to get signatures to get into a GOP Primary in the fourth against Dennis Shepard. Shepard has the endorsement of Mayor Phil Amicone, and Rubbo’s decision resulted in his departure from City Hall as a staffer to the mayor.

Although Rubbo is a viable candidate for council, the Independence line could be coming his way from no work of his own, but that of Ind Party Chair’s Dhyalma Vaquez and Dr. Giulio Cavallo odd ways of picking their nominees.

With the choice between Rubbo, Shepard, and Democrat Mario Degiorgio, Vazquez and Cavallo are likely to choose Rubbo because of their animosity towards Mayor Amicone, thus eliminating Shepard, and Nick Spano, who is said to be supporting Degorgio. Spano’s support of Degiorgio has not been confirmed, but do Vaquez & Cavallo care?

If Rubbo gets the Ind line, it could create a three-way race in November between Rubbo, Shepard and Degiorgio, and it’s anyone’s guess who wins.

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.

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.