Jenkins Appointed Westchester County Executive; Special Election Feb. 11
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Ken Jenkins was sworn in as Westchester’s 10th county executive Monday afternoon about 90 minutes after the Board of Legislators appointed him to fill the role until a Feb. 11 special election.
In addition to being the first appointed county executive in Westchester’s history, Jenkins also becomes the first Black person to hold that seat.
“It’s both humbling and inspiring to stand before you as county executive,” Jenkins said moments after he was sworn in by County Court Judge Anne Minihan at a ceremony at the Michaelian Office Building. “Westchester is more than my home; it’s my extended family. Together, we’re going to continue to move this county forward, making it a place where opportunity it abundant, communities are strong and every resident can thrive.”
Jenkins’ appointment comes four days after former county executive George Latimer resigned from the office to being his term as congressman. Jenkins served on the Board of Legislators, including four years as its chair. Despite losing to George Latimer in the 2017 Democratic primary for county executive, Latimer appointed Jenkins to serve as his deputy for the past seven years.
He takes over for the now-former acting county executive and current Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie, who was appointed on Thursday by Board of Legislators Chair Vedat Gashi to serve in that role until the Board of Legislators could meet on Monday.
Along with appointing Jenkins 16-0, the Board of Legislators set Tuesday, Feb. 11 as the date for the special election to serve the remainder of Latimer’s term. Jenkins is expected to be the Democratic candidate in that contest with virtually all county and state Democratic officeholders endorsing him.
For the special election, the political parties select a nominee. There has been no Republican who has publicly stepped forward yet to declare their intentions for the special election.
Jenkins is also expected to run for the full term in November.
In brief remarks Monday afternoon, Jenkins pledged to continue fighting for working families in the county, many of whom have felt the pinch of inflation over the past few years.
“I am proud of the results we’ve delivered over these past seven years, whether it’s lowering taxes, protecting a woman’s reproductive rights, supporting our veterans with tax breaks, building affordable housing, keeping our crime rates down and investing in infrastructure, parks and open space to preserve our environment for future generations,” said Jenkins, who with his wife Deborah Hudson-Jenkins have lived in Yonkers for 42 years, having raised three children.
“I know we will stand with middle class families because their struggles and aspirations are the ones that I know personally, and that’s the path I was raised on.”
He also paid tribute to his parents, Mel and Lorraine, a New York City police officer and nurse, respectively, from whom he derived his values and work ethic.
During the special Board of Legislators’ meeting in early afternoon, Majority Leader Tyrae Woodson-Samuels (D-Mount Vernon) offered Jenkins’ name for consideration for the appointment. In his seven years as deputy county executive, Woodson-Samules, said that Jenkins had demonstrated “unmatched dedication, insight and a deep understanding of county government. His leadership, integrity and ability to navigate the complexities of governance and budgets ensure that we will be in capable and trustworthy hands with him at the helm.”
In addition to his county government service
Jenkins had a long career in telecommunications and technology, holding key roles at Apple, AT&T, Bell Atlantic, New York Telephone (Verizon), NYNEX and Seer Technologies. He was also an owner and broker at ERA Gem Realty in the real estate industry.
Jenkins’ community service includes board service with the Greyston Foundation, United Way, Westchester County District Attorney’s Community Advisory Committee, Westchester County Crime Stoppers and the Community Planning Council of Yonkers. He served as President of the Yonkers Branch of the NAACP and the Yonkers Community Action Program.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
