GOP Board of Legislators Candidate Lauds Dismissal of Dems Petition Challenge
The Republican candidate opposing Democratic Majority Leader Peter Harckham (D-North Salem) in this November’s Westchester Board of Legislators race in District 2 praised last week’s ruling that GOP candidates’ petitions in five districts are valid.
Andrea Rendo, Harckham’s opponent in the race for the seat in the northeast portion of the county, including Mount Kisco, said the lawsuit brought by Bedford Democratic Party Chairman Bruce Yablon and other local party leaders was “frivolous.”
Republican candidates in Board of Legislators Districts 1 5, 7 and 14 also faced the legal challenge as did those candidates who had Independence Party opportunity-to-petition ballots.
The Aug. 29 ruling by state Supreme Court Judge Robert DiBella concluded party leaders’ claims were “without merit.” DiBella stated the challenges were made too late and those bringing the action did not have standing.
Democrats contended the petitions were submitted after the filing deadline. The deadline for the Republican petitions was July 11 while the Independence Party petitions needed to be submitted one week later.
“I’m gratified that a transparent end-run around the election process has been given the swift dismissal it deserves,” Rendo said. “Now the people of Westchester get what they deserve: a ballot with the full range of choices, not one that’s been sued clean by one party.”
“It’s telling that Chairman Yablon and his partisan cohorts conveniently forgot that petitions filed by many of their own party’s candidates suffered from the same fatal defect they cite for disqualifying our petitions,” Rendo said. “Apparently not only does their argument not hold up in court, but it strangely only applies to Republicans.”
Rendo said that Democrats have continued to try to limit choices in some county legislator races.
“I want the voters to vote,” she said.
A message left for Yablon last week was not returned.
Harckham said in a voice mail message that he was out of the area and did not comment on the ruling.
