Incumbent Jamaal Bowman Sweeps Democratic Primary for Congressional District 16
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1997
Though many in Scarsdale had themselves convinced that the Congressional contest for the newly redrawn District 16 was a race between County Legislators Vedat Gashi and Catherine Parker, in fact, incumbent Jamaal Bowman swept the August 23, 2022 Democratic Primary. Not even a half hour after the polls closed the Associated Press declared Congressman Bowman the victor, and ultimately the numbers showed that Bowman took 57% of the vote, more than the vote count of Gashi and Parker combined.
The race was ever present, with campaign materials arriving daily in voters mailboxes and constant emails from all three candidates. In his first term in Congress, Bowman voted with the progressive wing of the party against the infrastructure bill, against Israel and against aid for Ukraine and some thought he was beatable in the newly drawn district that includes most of Westchester’s suburban communities. Both Gashi and Parker attempted to appeal to Jewish voters by promoting their support for Israel while Bowman stressed his support for working families and those in need.
Though there are 748,194 residents in the district, less than 25,000 votes were cast. The low voter turnout may be due to the change in the primary date from June to August, and the fact that the end of August is vacation time for many. The delay in the primary date was due to a challenge to the redistricting plan which combined portions of Congressman Bowman’s district with areas in the 17th led by Congressman Mondaire Jones who was a rising star in the Democratic Party. Jones moved to Brooklyn where he ran and lost in the 10th district, coming in third after Dan Goldman and Yuh-Line Niou.
Vedat Gashi, an immigrant from Kosovo and a Muslim, entered the race in the spring and was successful at fundraising for his campaign. He lives in what is now Congressional District 17 in Yorktown but vowed to move to the 16th if he won the election. He garnered the support of former Congressman Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel along with State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin.
Catherine Parker, who lives in Rye, did not announce her run until June, but supporters felt that she had a good chance of winning due to her name recognition after nine years of serving Westchester constituents on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. Her campaign received a boost when a small independent poll came out last week declaring her in the lead.
However, neither Gashi nor Parker came close to Bowman’s success at the polls. A sitting member of Congress, Bowman had endorsements from major unions along with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Kristin Gillibrand and many other national and local leaders.
Here are a few lines from Bowman’s remarks at Maggie Spillane’s in Mt. Vernon after the election was called by the AP. “Tonight, we proved to the world that if you lead with peace and with love, you win. …Because when we got to D.C. two years ago — just days before the first attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812 — that is how we led…. We introduced the Green New Deal for Public Schools to invest in young people. We brought back resources to support the elderly and children in our communities. We fought back against hate, racism, and anti-semitism…. Tonight we will celebrate this win for our movement. And tomorrow, we’ll get back to work fighting for the people of this district, and back to work building a district, a country, and a world that centers equity, human rights, and justice for all.”
Damon Maher, a member of the County Board of Legislators who backed Catherine Parker sent out the following:
“I have sent the following text to Congressman Bowman: "Congratulations on your running an excellent campaign and for achieving a well-earned, decisive victory. Of course, you will have my support in the general election."
Those of us who backed either of the two challengers - my two colleagues in the Westchester County Legislature, Catherine Parker and Vedat Gashi - are disappointed to have lost, and all sides should be concerned about yet another primary with abysmally low voter turnout figures.
Nonetheless, the Congressman won the Democratic nomination fair and square. He deserves the vote of every good Democrat in the general election in November.”
Sochie Nnaemeka, Director of the New York Working Families Party who endorsed Bowman said, “Jamaal Bowman has been a courageous fighter for our children and families in Congress. He introduced the visionary Green New Deal for Public Schools legislation, protected families from unjust eviction, and fought to defend our democracy. We’re thrilled to continue partnering with Jamaal to ensure that working families in NY-16 can truly thrive."
As the district leans Democratic, the primary win bodes well for Bowman in the November election.
Vote in the Primary Today
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 878
Are you a registered Democrat?
If so, today is the primary election for Congressional District 16 in which incumbent Jamaal Bowman is running against Vedat Gashi and Catherine Parker.
If you’re not sure where to vote, click on the link below. Fill in your address and zip code and you’ll find your polling place. Voting hours are 6 am to 9 pm.
https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/find-polling-place
Check back here tomorrow for the results!
Police: Young Man Arrested for Possession of Semi-Automatic Weapons Plus An Untimely Death
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 19719
(Updated June 21, 2023) To those who say, “It can’t happen here,” this is a cautionary tale about the presence of assault weapons and ammunition in our community.
According to the Scarsdale Police, at 10:20 am on Wednesday July 13, 2022, a 23 year-old man was arrested for the possession of semi-automatic weapons, magazines and ammunition found in his bedroom at his house.
At 10:46 am he was brought in, read his Miranda Rights, signed a waiver and admitted he had assault weapons in his room.
He was placed in the holding cell and charged with Criminal Possession of an Assault Weapon in the 3rd degree and Criminal Possession of an Ammunition Feeding weapon in the 3rd degree. At 2:26 pm after the arrest processing was completed, he was transported to Scarsdale Village Court for his arraignment. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance with a court date set for July 20, 2022. He was represented by legal counsel.He appeared before Village Justice Cynthia Dunne on July 20 and the case was adjourned until September 14, 2022.
Police are investigating how the young man secured the weapons and ammunition.
According to Lt. Brendan Kellaher, "It is not illegal to possess “magazines that feed ammunition,” but rather large capacity ammunition feeding devices, which can accept more than 10 rounds as specified in our NYS Penal Law, article 265. As of this time I can only advise that the weapons we recovered were in fact semi-automatic rifles and that due to the NYS Safe Act their possession by the defendant was unlawful. The exact features I cannot comment on due to the ongoing investigation."
What to do? Police advise parents to remain vigilant and be aware of children and even adult children’s text message and involvement on social media, especially on anonymous sites, though from what police can see, this incident did not involve social media.
Death on Rectory Lane
In additional sad news, police have reported the death of a 23 year-old man at his home on Rectory Lane in Scarsdale. The death was reported by his parent at 12:48 pm on July 16, 2022. The name of the victim and the cause of death were withheld.
Voter Information for the August 23 Democratic Primary
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1601
August Democratic Primary Election–Important Dates
In Scarsdale, there is an upcoming Democratic Primary Election for the U.S. Congress, District 16. (Please note, there is no Republican primary).
• Now: Residents should check their voter registration status at: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/
• July 29: Last day for your voter registration form (https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/images/stories/pdfs/voterregeng.pdf) to be postmarked. Last day to register to vote in person at the Westchester County Board of Elections’ Office (25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601).
Please note the following deadlines regarding ABSENTEE BALLOTS:
• August 8: Last day for the Westchester County Board of Elections to RECEIVE an application for an absentee ballot by mail, email, fax letter, or web portal. The Board of Elections website (https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/absentee-ballots) details the variety of ways to apply for an absentee ballot. Note: Voters may still apply to vote by absentee ballot using the temporary illness clause, which includes being unable to appear due to risk of contracting or spreading a communicable disease like COVID-19.
• August 22: Last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot.
• August 23: Election Day. Last day to postmark a completed absentee ballot (must be received by August 30) or submit a completed absentee ballot in person.
The County Board of Elections website (https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/absentee-ballots) provides instructions for completing an absentee ballot.
EARLY VOTING for the August Democratic Primary Election is AUGUST 13-21, 2022:
• You may vote early at any of the designated Early Voting polling locations throughout the County. The Board of Elections website (https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/early-voting-2022) lists all polling locations and hours.
PRIMARY ELECTION DAY is TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022:
You may vote only at your assigned polling location which you can look up here: https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/find-polling-place
For information about the candidates, see Vote411.org, the website the U.S. League maintains with comprehensive information on elections nationwide.
On Monday, July 25, the League of Women Voters of Westchester is holding a Virtual Democratic Candidate Forum for U.S. Congressional District 16. Please register at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lOak4GkwQkC1txXcsg7FYg
Questions regarding voting in the Primary Election should be directed to our LWVS Voter Service Chairs at lwvsvoterservice@gmail.com.
Scouts and Village Working Toward an Agreement
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 1649
This notice was sent out by the Scarsdale Village Manager's Office on July 11, 2022.
Betty Taubert Girl Scout House Renewed Partnership
Village of Scarsdale officials and Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson representatives together announced that they met late last week in furtherance of their mutual commitment to move forward toward a renewed partnership strategy for the management, maintenance, and occupancy of the Betty Taubert Girl Scout House in Scarsdale. The parties share the goals of reopening the facility as quickly as possible and aligning on resolving its longer-term operational and capital needs.
The Girl Scout House, built in 1979 and renamed the Betty Taubert Girl Scout House in 2005 to honor a tireless Girl Scouts volunteer in Scarsdale, is located on Village-owned property at 37 Wayside Lane and provides 6,000 usable square feet of activity space. The multi-purpose facility has historically hosted recreational and educational programs, meetings, and events organized by the partners and serves many users, including Girl Scout troops and service units, Village seniors, and others.
