Harckham, Arena Spar as 40th Senate District Race Shifts Into High Gear

A proposed battery storage facility and free speech have surfaced as hot-button issues in the upcoming race for the 40^th state Senate District.

Incumbent Sen. Peter Harckham (D-Lewisboro) is running for a fourth term against Republican Gina Arena of Somers. Arena, who lost to Harckham in 2022, announced her candidacy for the seat a year ago for the upcoming election.

In June, local pushback to the proposed 116-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) on the Somers-Mahopac border saw the issue politicized as Arena and her supporters attacked Harckham for withdrawing legislation that would have supported communities grappling with proposed battery storage systems. Arena argued that pulling the legislation was part of a statewide strategy to weaken home rule, allowing the state to potentially supersede local zoning.

“My question is why, all of a sudden, did the legislation get pulled?” Arena asked. “Is it because the people spoke up? The last thing people need is for this issue to be taken out of their hands. There needs to be more investigation and the people are the ones that have to be heard on this.”

Harckham has not only denied the accusation of having supported weakening home rule, he strongly backed the six-month BESS moratorium approved by the Carmel Town Board in July.

He explained his legislation was pulled because the language became invalid when all battery storage operations were placed under the purview of the Public Service Commission (PSC). Harckham’s bill would have enabled the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to help communities with battery energy storage system proposals.

“The legislation was rendered moot,” Harckham said. “What the proposed legislation would have done is taken a regional approach to allow all the voices to have a seat at the table. The moratorium, which I strongly supported, allows communities time to figure out how to proceed.”

Harckham said that before the moratorium his office was in regular contact with Carmel and Somers officials, who had voiced their concerns about the proposed facility.

The issue also involves updating Carmel’s 20-year-old Master Plan to create laws that would place the decision-making processes about proposed BESS facilities in the hands of the town and its zoning boards.

“They (Carmel officials) want to add the decision process through the Master Plan,” said Arena.

Harckham said the state would never tell a local zoning board what decisions to make. As for future legislation related to local BESS proposals, Harckham added “it depends on local sentiment and the input and feedback we get from our constituents and local officials.”

The issue of free speech has also pitted the candidates against one another after what many perceived as antisemitic remarks by Jim Wise, a Carmel Board of Education trustee. At a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Putnam County Courthouse in June, Wise, who is Jewish, apparently used the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is seen by many to symbolize Palestinian control over the entire territory of Israel’s borders.

Arena and her supporters have called out Harckham for giving Wise a certificate recognizing his work with children. Harckham said he gave Wise the certificate several months before the June rally, and he vehemently rejected the implication that he held any anti-Semitic views.

“We instantly denounced the remarks made by those at the rally,” Harckham said. “Those are not my views and this is a made-up story. I’m astounded at the hype that surrounded this issue, which only serves political interests. It’s incredibly irresponsible to throw a lighted match into the caldron of divisiveness.”

Arena claimed she never said Harckham was antisemitic but questioned his judgment in refusing to join other officials calling for state Education Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa to remove Wise from the school board.

“Wise’s remarks upset the Jewish community in Carmel,” Arena said. “I agree that he should be removed from the school board, and if I am elected, I will put pressure on Rosa for him to be removed.”

Harckham said he strongly supports Israel and the Jewish community, and visited Israel in 2012 in solidarity with the country.

“In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel I have hosted four community forums on hate speech, denouncing anti-Semitism while my opponent did nothing,” he said.

Harckham has also questioned Arena’s poor attendance when she served on the Town of Somers Energy Environment Committee from 2021 to 2023. Minutes show that Arena missed 12 of 15 meetings. She resigned before the Aug. 10, 2023. meeting.

“I should have resigned sooner than I did,” Arena admitted. “I was busy with my family as we were coming out of COVID and the committee meetings were sporadic. Meeting on Zoom, we were not able to do a lot of things that we wanted to get done. I thought it best to resign and move on.”