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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2003 CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. November 4, 2003. Updated November 6, 2003 2 P.M. E.S.T. with FINAL LOCAL RESULTS: With 39 of 43 Districts in White Plains reporting as of 2:00 A.M Wednesday morning, the Democratic candidates for council have wept their Republican rivals. White Plains voters have overwhelmingly endorsed Robert Greer for a fourth consecutive term as councilman, given high marks to Benjamin Boykin, Jr., for a second term, and voted Arnold Bernstein onto the Common Council for his first.
Democrat projections hold up. Win going away.
As of 2 P.M Thursday afternoon, the Board of Elections is reporting that with ALL 43 WP districts reporting,and with 87% of Absentee Ballots counted, Mr. Boykin gathered 5,258 votes, Mr. Greer has received 5,224 votes, Mr. Boykin, and Mr. Bernstein, 4,349. Mr. Sheehan has pulled 3,763 votes, Mr. Binder, 3,596, Mr. Hickey, 3,123. Rosa Munoz the Conservative and Independence Party candidate has received 951 votes. For “What-Might-Have-Been Pundits,” even had Ms. Munoz’s votes gone to Mr. Hickey’s total, (3,123 plus 951, for a total of 4,074), Mr. Hickey would still lose to Mr. Bernstein by 275 votes.
In a note on the Supreme Court Race, Jo Ann Friia, the White Plains judge, with 991 of 1,021 districts reporting, is the leading vote getter with 97% of the districts reporting at 69,043. Duffy is second at 66,268, and Horowitz is third at 65,057. Friia was projected to lose in this race as of Tuesday evening, but as of Thursday afternoon at 2 PM, she has come back in totals.
Back on the Council Races, on a remarkable show of strength, Arnold Bernstein outpolled Tim Sheehan, the highest vote-gathering Republican by 586 votes. The Democrats rolled up totals from the Tuesday evening projection. The 2004 White Plains Common Council will be made up of Benjamin Boykin, Robert Greer, Arnold Bernstein, Tom Roach, Glen Hockley, and Rita Malmud, giving the Democrats a 6-1 council majority. A total of 29% of registered White Plains voters turned out to vote in the election.
THE WHITE PLAINS TEAM SWEEPS: Newly elected Councilmen Robert Greer, left, Arnold Bernstein, center, and Council President Benjamin Boykin all smiles as the Republicans run out of districts at 10 PM Tuesday evening.At 10 PM, with 36 of 43 White Plains districts in, Mr. Boykin was the leading votegetter with 4,346, Mr. Greer second with 4,337, Mr. Bernstein had 3,556. Timothy Sheehan was a distant fourth at 3,066, Mr. Binder had 2,438, and Daniel Hickey had 2,527. As of 1:30 A.M. Wednesday morning, the Board of Elections is reporting that with 39 of 43 WP districts reporting, Mr. Greer has received 4,845 votes, Mr. Boykin, 4, 841, and Mr. Bernstein, 3,998. Mr. Sheehan has pulled 3,547 votes, Mr. Binder,3,369, Mr. Hickey, 2,954. Rosa Munoz the Conservative and Independence Party candidate received 860 votes. It is all over for the Republicans. Photo by WPCNR News
IT WASN’T TOO CLOSE TO CALL AT DEMOCRAT CENTRAL: Reporters got to go home early Tuesday evening. Here Rita Malmud, left, and Robert Greer are crunching the numbers, while Tom Roach stands by, confirming that it’s all over at the 36 district mark. Photo by WPCNR News.
The computer model at Democratic Headquarters at the Nick Wolf Century 21 Offices projected at 10:30 P.M. Tuesday evening that Mr. Greer would finish with 5,293 votes, Mr. Boykin with 5,387, and Mr. Bernstein, 4,331. Republican Tim Sheehan is projected to finish with 3,729 votes, Jeffrey Binder, 3,567 and Daniel Hickey, 3,080. Jim Benerofe, of suburbanstreet.com reported on arriving at Sam’s of Gedney Way at 11:30 P.M. that Republicans Tim Sheehan and Jeffrey Binder had conceded their defeats.
RYAN EXPRESS GATHERS MOMENTUM FOR THE FUTURE: County Legislator William Ryan, Democratic candidate for County Legislator had a 1,200 vote lead over Republican Legislative candidate, Frank Cantatore with all White Plains districts counted, 3,952to 2,754, 1,198 votes, as of 12:15 A.M. E.S.T., beating Mr. Cantatore by a 59% to 41%. As of 1:30 A.M., with all districts in Scarsdale and White Plains reporting, Mr. Ryan has lengthened his lead over Mr. Cantatore to 1,971 votes. Mr. Ryan is shown waving to Congresswoman Nita Lowey as she enters Sam’s of Gedney Way near midnight Election Night, as jubilant Democrats celebrated their demolition of the Republican Party in White Plains. Photo by WPCNR News.
All incumbents except two won back their County Legislator Positions, in addition to Mr. Ryan in White Plains-Scarsdale, District 5, returning to the legislature are George Oros, District 1; Ursula Lamotte, District 2; newly elected is Robert Astorino in District 3; Michael Kaplowitz, District 4; Martin Rogowsky, District 6; George Latimer, District 7; Lois Bronz, District 8; Richard Wishnie, District 9; Vito Pinto, District 10; James Maisano, District 11; Thomas Abinanti, District 12; Clinton Young, Jr., District 13; Bernice Spreckman, District 14; Louis Mosiello, District 15; Andrea Stewart-Cousins, District 16; Jose Avarado; District 17, newly elected.
Mr. Oros, Ms. Bronz, Mr. Wishnie, Mr. Pinto, and Mr. Abinanti ran unopposed.
LEGISLATOR RYAN SALUTES MS. LOWEY AT SAM’S OF GEDNEY WAY: Bill Ryan, speaking in a hoarse voice due to a illness, noted that Congresswoman Nita Lowery “is always there with help and support,” and he thanked her for it. Ms. Lowey said she and the Democrats were “partners, and we are ready to partner to move White Plains forward.” Photo by WPCNR News.
Propostion One Passes; Propostion Two lifting bonding limits for School Districts Appears to Win
In the Proposition Issues, Proposition One was passed, and as of Thursday afternoon at 2 PM, the Board of Elections reports Proposition Two raising the debt limit for which school districts could borrow, was passing by 252 votes with 988 of 1,021 Districts Reporting, (96% in) and appears to be passing at this time.
In a reversal of results publicly reported by The Journal News Wednesday, in the Supreme Court Judgeship race, the returns from all counties with 992 of 1,021 districts reporting now show that White Plains Judge Jo Ann Friia is the leading vote-getter with 97% of the districts reported in, Larry Horowitz is second, and Colleen Duffy is third. Don’t put on those robes, yet, folks.
For County Judge, Joseph Alessandro at 112,452 votes (he had both Republican and Democratic lines), Rory Bellantoni with 68,410 votes, and Robert Dibella with 69, 218 votes appear to have made the bench over Robert Neary and Susan Cacace.
In the Family Court result, Kathie Davidson, the Democrat has defeated Annette Guarino, the Republican.
MR. BOYKIN, TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE DEMOCRATIC SWEEP?: Susan Elan, Journal News City Beat Reporter interviews Benjamin Boykin as the “Democratic Tide” swept away the Republican ticket. Robert Greer is shown at the Democrat Central Computer Consoles, punching in the numbers and making the projections. Boykin told WPCNR later at Sam’s of Gedney way that the Republicans had “the wind blown out of their sails” by the Mayor’s announcement two weeks ago that the New York Presbyterian Hospital had reached a land swap deal. Boykin said the Republicans had banked on one issue, the Presbyterian Hospital negative vote in 2000. He also noted that voters were “very happy the way things were going in White Plains,” and that the slogan “Wake Up the Common Council” was poorly conceived given the present condition of the city that the Common Council was responsible for creating. Photo by WPCNR News.
WINNERS TAKE ALL: Bill Ryan, Nita Lowey, Benjamin Boykin, and Robert Greer enjoying the Winners’ Circle at Sam’s Tuesday night. Photo by WPCNR News
