Some Yonkers Dems Point to Lesnick Concerns

Chuck Lesnick

 

On paper, it appears that the race for Yonkers City Council President is a done deal — with Democrat incumbent Chuck Lesnick riding re-election with the wave of a large Democratic enrollment edge, and to put him over the top, the Independence line.

Combine that with a very quiet (so far) campaign from Republican challenger Jim Castro-Blanco, and this race is over, yes? Not so fast.

Some Dems have concerns about Lesnick’s leadership, or lack thereof, they claim on the council, and the animosities between some Dems and Chuck over the years.

“Let’s remember Chuck didn’t win in 2005, Richard Martinelli lost and mailed it in. Also in ‘05, Chuck had the support of the Ridge Hill crowd, who now feel that he betrayed them,” said one prominent Yonkers Dem.

“ On SFC he’s been all over the map, trying to appease all, but annoying his base of landmarks and the anti-development crowd, who think he has done too much for developers, and the pro-development crowd, who believe he’s waited far too long to approve SFC.”

“He also voted for Mayor Phil Amicone’s budget before he voted against it, passing a council based budget.”

“Castro-Blanco is quiet, but that’s on purpose, with the hope that Chuck shoots himself in the foot. 

Pat McDow and Ken Jenkins both don’t like Chuck. We also hear the county executive isn’t on board either. Chuck needs a big turnout in the Dem-rich southwest Yonkers to combat the high turnout in the northeast

There are two competitive races in the fourth and sixth districts, which will fuel a high turnout. The Dem races in southwest Yonkers will be decided in a primary – Jenkins will breeze in and so will the Dem nominee in the second.

“Will they throw Chuck under the bus and not work hard for him? Could the Spanos — Mike and Nick — also want Chuck out of the way for Mayor Mike?

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

Four Westchester Democrats Hold Key to Future of County Politics

We call it “Westchester Political Musical Chairs” when elected officials in our county ponder and consider their next move up the political ladder. Due to the overwhelming enrollment edge Democrats now have in the county (+100,000), all speculation about who will run for what this year and in the future, centers on Democrats, and Rising Media would like to highlight four Westchester Dems — Assemblyman Adam Bradley, County Board Chairman Bill Ryan, County Legislator and Yonkers Democratic Chairman Ken Jenkins and Assemblyman Mike Spano.

Bradley jumped headfirst into the race for White Plains mayor, and now is considered the heir apparent to replace longtime Republican White Plains Mayor Joe Delfino, who presided over the revitalization of the county’s capital city.

Bill Ryan was at the top of Westchester Democratic buzz to be the next county executive or White Plains mayor last year when he became chairman of the County Board. But since then, Andy Spano is running for re-election as county executive, stopping Ryan’s hopes, and Bradley stepped in front of Ryan to become the Democratic White Plains mayoral hopeful.

Ryan’s only hopes now rest on maintaining his County Board chairmanship before something else opens up. But Ryan’s future as board chairman could be tenuous if Jenkins decides he wants to be the next chairman.

Jenkins is one of the rising stars in the Democratic Party in Westchester. He would be a true consensus builder on the County Board for the Democratic super majority, and has proven himself as a wise political operative in turning around the Yonkers Democratic Party as chairman in recent years.
Jenkins is also seen as a possible future candidate for Congress or Mayor of Yonkers. With Republican Mayor Phil Amicone term limited in two years, Yonkers Democrats are looking to take over City Hall in 2011, with Jenkins, Assemblyman Mike Spano, and City Council President Chuck Lesnick the three big Democrats with the best chance to be the next Mayor of Yonkers.

The Spanos (Mike, Nick and Andy) are beginning to line up support for Mike Spano, who switched parties to a Democrat two years ago, to be the Democratic candidate for Yonkers’ mayor. The recent deal that gave Andy Spano the Conservative line for county executive points to this effort to clear the way for Mike as Yonkers’ mayor.

The Spanos are hoping that Jenkins, who can pretty much write his own ticket, sets his sights on the County Board chairmanship, and not Yonkers mayor. This bodes badly for Ryan, who has not distinguished himself as Democratic board chairman with the 13 Dems on the County Board.

In musical chairs, there’s always someone left without a chair — right now that someone is Ryan.

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.