Nadine Hunt-Robinson, a resident of the Fisher Hill neighborhood in White Plains shown in February when she was appointed to the Common Council to replace Benjamin Boykin on an interim basis, won the Special Council Election to serve the final year of Mr. Boykin’s term Tuesday evening
WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2014 By John F. Bailey. November 4, 2014:
According to an unofficial tally of raw Election District Results district-by-district tallied by the White Plains Democratic Party furnished to WPCNR, Nadine Hunt-Robinson has won going away over Terence Guerriere , winning 60% of the 12,032 votes counted, (of a possible 31,000 White Plains registered voters).
Ms. Nadine Hunt-Robinson, second from left, and Terence Guerriere, second from right at oneof the Campaign Forums in White Plains this fall.
In her sweeping victory, she earned White Plains voters’ endorsement to fill the unexpired year remaining on former Councilman Benjamin Boykin’s council term beginning in January. She received unofficially 7,234 votes to Mr. Guerriere’s 4,798. She swept 39 of 46 election districts, losing only 7.
Hunt-Robinson was appointed to the Common Council as a surprise selection by the City Democratic Committee when appointed in February by Mayor Thomas Roach and the Common Council.
She has not commented extensively in her 9 months on the council, but her comments have not contained any “mistakes,” have appeared measured and thoughtful. An envirnomental lawyer for an insurance company, she was said to bring a level of expertise on such issues that would augment the Council.
Significantly during the forums and the campaign, Ms. Hunt-Robinson did not commit to any particular vote on the French American School of New York site plan, the key matter before the council he last three and a half years, while her opponent, Mr. Guerriere vowed he would vote against it.
Hunt-Robinson overcame annoyance on the part of members of the White Plains City Committee that her experience was limited if at all in matters of city government and that she had not been active and visible in reacting to city issues in the past, and was not even a member of the Democratic Party. She was a member of the Independence Party
Ms. Hunt-Robinson told WPCNR she was approached by the White Plains Ministerial Fellowship and asked to agree to accept the seat because if she did not, the White Plains black community would not have a seat on the Common Council with the departure of Mr. Boykin
She was challenged in a City Committee nomination election and won by a narrow margin (one vote WPCNR believes) and subsequently was appointed to the Council by Mayor Roach and the Common Council in a unanimous vote. She was endorsed by the White Plains Examiner, and apparently in her forum appearances impressed many. On the French American School of New York issue (particularly in recent hearings) she carefully noted she was concerned about the health and safety of White Plains High School students and would be considering those issues carefully in any decision vote on the FASNY site plan.
Guerriere’s only strength showed up in the immediate Ridgeway Gedney Farms area of the city. Election Districts, not within the vicinity of the controversial proposed French American School Project, all voted for Hunt-Robinson.
Guerriere only started campaigning in earnest in September. Given the margin of victory by Ms. Hunt-Robinson, more campaigning would not have made a difference.
His promises of working for lower parking rates and hours, calls for better budgeting, and protection of neighborhoods and criticism of the FASNY project did not gain traction.
He lost by a larger margin than he did the last time he ran for Common Council in 2011 when he missed getting on the Common Council, 801 votes behind Dennis Krolian. Tuesday he has been unofficially defeated by 2,436 votes by Ms. Hunt-Robinson, an astounding plurality approaching Joseph Delfino (former Mayor of White Plains) popularity margins.
Mr. Guerriere’s ideas did not resonate with the voters, who apparently liked Ms. Hunt-Robinson’s rational and level headed demeanor and comportment, and hold out hope she will act in their best interests.
The vote is evidence that the citizens who voted are not unhappy with the way the Common Council and Mayor are leading the city, at least not unhappy enough with policy and conditions like property taxes, development and services to demand changes, to do something as shocking as voting out a nice person without giving them a chance in favor of a reform type candidate.
We have learned that the majority of neighborhoods with voters who voted do not care about the plight of any neighborhoods except their own.
They do not like discord in White Plains and believe what city leadership and their party believes, and the Democratic Party ( at least in White Plains anyway) knows the buttons to push to keep their party loyalists and get them out to vote their way. They perhaps should graduate to the Democratic National Committee given the national Democrat results Tuesday.
The Democratic City Committee is a very effective organization.
The people have spoken.
For better or worse.
The city moves forward like the 300-car freight train it is.
