Democrats Call Astorino M.I.A., Demand New County Exec Election

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Westchester Democrats are calling for a special election for County Executive, claiming Rob Astorino is "missing in action" during his run for governor.
Westchester Democrats are calling for a special election for County Executive, claiming Rob Astorino is "missing in action" during his run for governor. Photo Credit: YouTube

This story has been updated to include comments from Republican County Legislator John Testa.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Eight Democratic members of the Board of Legislators said Rob Astorino is missing in action and demanded a new election for Westchester county executive, which Republican legislators called pure political silliness.

The caucus members said they introduced a resolution declaring the Office of County Executive vacant and called for a special election pursuant to the County Charter.

Westchester Republicans said Wednesday it likely will not get the votes to pass. 

Astorino's campaign spokesman William O'Reilly declined to comment. 

Westchester Democrats said Astorino's run for governor should be considered a violation of the County Charter and that he is "missing in action."

Section 110.01 of the County Charter requires that the County Executive “shall devote his whole time to the duties of the office.”

"What the resolution is saying is the charter makes it very clear that the county executive is a full-time position,"  Peter Harckham (D, I, WF-North Salem) said. "Even before he was inaugurated and sworn in for a second term he was off campaigning. Due to the seriousness of the challenges that we as a county face, we need a full-time County Executive and this County Executive needs to make a choice and he needs to be here in Westchester."

Democrats are calling for the election because they said "Westchester is failing on health, housing, County finances while County Executive spends substantial time outside of the county pursuing personal political agenda," the release read.

Legislator John Testa (R-Peekskill) said campaigning while holding an office is nothing new. 

"It’s just pure political silliness in a way that’s distracting to what we need to do as a county board," he told Daily Voice. "This is the same group, they’re referred to as the former leadership of the board, and they’re former because of silly things they do like this."

Borgia, Harckham, Alfreda Williams (D-Greenburgh), Benjamin Boykin (D-White Plains, Scarsdale, Harrison), Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers), Catherine Parker (D-Mamaroneck, Rye, Larchmont, New Rochelle, Harrison), MaryJane Shimsky (D-Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Greenburgh) and Lyndon Williams (D-Mount Vernon) are sponsoring the bill.

Brian Donnelly contributed to this report

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Comments (74)

2005: 318,000,000,000
2006: 248,000,000,000
2007: 161,000,000,000


2008: 459,000,000,000

Now we get to the Obama administration.

2009: 1,413,000,000,000
2010: 1,293,000,000,000
2011: 1,300,000,000,000
2012: 1,327,000,000,000

Kaplowitz and Perez were the only democrat legislators with enough sense not join Jenkins and the other losers. A few days ago Jenkins stood next to Al Sharpton in White Plains complaining about Astorino, the only person missing from the photo was Tawana Brawley standing next to Sharpton.

Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking when I heard Sharpton was here to stir up trouble.

Party line politics aside -- the point is valid. Do the f&%king job you are getting paid for and not hustling for the job you want to get. I don't pay guys that work for me to go on job interviews.

Physics definition of Power: "The ability to do work"
Political definition of Power: "The ability to avoid work"

Really! Are you talking about Obama?

Of course what you propose is an across the board requirement, regardless of party or office. Therefore you believe all legislators should stay in their respective seats of government and all chief executives should report daily to their respective offices. I am sure however you would not object to after hours, Saturdays and Sundays, personal days, and sick days. If you desired to change jobs, I'm sure you wouldn't take time out to meet prospective employers, and prospective companies in order to impress that prospective employer with your personal bearing and appearance, language skills, and personality. Of course!

jlombard no one would ever achieve success if they stuck to your motto. If one has the ability to do their job and interview/campaign to achieve higher success than by all means they should. The only reason Westchester may be failing in some of the above Democratic complaints is due to their own discord..

Democrats once again wasting tax payer money for their desperate out of reach attempts to take control of Westchester....and how hypocritcal as they spend ALL THEIR time on this nonsense..

The same Democrats had no problem with their President, Barack Obama, starting his campaign for re-election to a second term, the day after his inauguration to his first term, on January 21, 2009. And they had no problems with Obama taking dozens of taxpayer-paid vacations during his first four years.

Uh oh .... look for Jenkins to sue....this guy sues for everything, makes me think he is a native American from the Sioux tribe...

Eliminate county government all together. It's full of redundant, 6 figure salary positions that are already covered at the state and local levels. other states have done this with great success and had an immediate drop in their property taxes. Westchester has the highest property taxes in the country and the taxpayers need relief

Sounds like a desparate attempt by the Democrats because they know Astorino is the better candidate!


Oh please, based on this I guess every candidate should have to quit their current office before running for higher office. Which doesn't ever happen. The most ridiculous argument ever......please get over yourselves, you silly democrats.

You could drop Astorino into the Arctic tundra for a month and he would still manage to do his job better than either the Governor or the President.

You got that right!

To Borgia, Harckham, A. Williams, Boykin, Jenkins, Parker, Shimsky, and L. Williams -- Stop this silliness! You are like children fighting over a shovel in the sandbox. In fact, you all get an F in sandbox play. I am a Democrat. You are an embarrassment to the Democrat Party.

Based on the democrat stance, we also need to elect a new president immediately before his tv ratings go any lower.

Wow! That was insightful.

"Westchester is failing on health, housing, County finances while County Executive spends substantial time outside of the county pursuing personal political agenda,", westchester is the highest taxed county in the country and those dems voted to raise those taxes. cuomo must be feeling the heat, hes got an anti astorino ad out too!!! cuomo has got to go, he got in by pushing patterson aside and he lost miserably to mccall in the gubernatorial primary in 2003. cuomo is a side show that is no longer interesting.

This is actually really embarrassing for the folks sponsoring this bill. Should it be illegal for all politicians who currently hold office to campaign for another? If so... then bring THAT bill forward. Otherwise, stop wasting everyone's time with this (small-time) political theater.

Notice that they aren't saying he's doing a bad job as county executive --just whining about him being absent. Rob must be doing something right if this is the best the opposition can muster as a criticism.

but it's ok when Democrats do it, what a bunch of hypocrites. Unfortunately this happens with politicians on both sides all the time.


What a bunch of cry babies the Denocratic party has become. Not only in Westchester County, but also from the White House on down !! Hopefully in November a lot of Democrats will be on the unemployment line.

What a joke the Democratic Party of Westchester County has become.

They broke the bank and then complain about it. I'm surprised any of them got reelected.

And it sounds like sour grapes, they'd like to redo the election because they picked such a bad candidate (Noam Bramson) who got his azz whipped.

Maybe in Buffalo Rob doesn't have to deal with do-nothing Democrats who just twiddle their thumbs and get elected because the uneducated majority still have the right to vote.

yeah-who ever told the great unwashed that they were livving in a Democracy???

The Democrats of Westchester County, NY and our Country are a joke and want to hear themselves and cause problems. They certainly have not done any good for any of us, right Ms. Borgia? Oh it is OK for them to 'bend' the rules though... I'm watching all of you... and so are many REAL Americans

oh here we go -the only REAL Americans are the ones who think exactly like you right??? why does "patriotism" in the hands of extremists always become chauvanism???

And why do those like you consider everyone on the right an extremist?

And your point is?

I guess DDigler is a little butthurt now too....

steps to cure butthurt...
1) Apply copious amounts of preperation H to a maxi pad.
2) rub affected area with said maxi pad
3) Move to mexico or canada

Wow- you are so clever... hard to stay on topic without getting dirty and name calling - so teabagger-esque!

Name calling teabagger-esque? What a hypocrite!

Nice to see from your comments that the only respect you're getting from your comments is coming from yourself.

Republicans just successfully filibustered a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10.10.The minimum wage in America is pretty damn low. How about getting it to a vote, guys? Cowardly filibuster for all of the wrong reasons. Sad-

The Senate has Democratic majority. For a law to pass they must vote yes. If a law doesn't make the cut, then Democrats voted against it.

Real meaty issue. Do you know that less than one-half of one percent of the work force gets paid the minimum wage, Typical democrat pull the wool over the naive eyes and make a mountain out of a mole-hill.

And what about the Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate refuses to bring bills to the Senate floor. Again why is it ok when the Dems do it but not the Republicans. They all need to work together to solve the problems of this country

As a young man I worked for minimum wage. It's a start, not a vocation!

I too worked for minimum wage as a young man. Then for many years I made a wonderful six figure income. Then I lost my job. Then once again I made minimum wage. S#%T happens! People deserve a living wage, regardless of how you mock them.

Nobody is being mocked. We are a Capitalist nation. Wages are dictated by necessity, and tempered by affordability. Many firms take it upon themselves to pay above the minimum wage. Fast food places cater to lower wage earners. higher cost labor means higher prices, or less workers.

Yes, exactly right. Nowadays lazy unmotivated adults want to stay in the entry level jobs we all had as kids.

Don't you want to create jobs? Your plan will cost 500,000 jobs. That doesn't sound very good to me.

Republicans also managed to cut SNAP (formaly food stamp) benefits by 2.8 billion-not exactly the party of the people that Lincoln envisioned is it???

Food stamp recipients who have contributed very little have received tremendous increase under king obama's reign, while those on social security, who have worked hard and paid into the system have been threatened by bo and the democrats that payments will be withheld; and increases have been meager. Good job democrats, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. JFK

The Senate has a Democratic majority. If Snap was cut it's because Democrats voted for it!

Your comment is too ridiculous to even ponder...

It is simple math. Democrats hold a majority, and Reid is in charge of the Majority. If Democrats wanted this to pass, then Reid and the Majority could have passed this bill.

Sad to read how many misguided folks still get behind the Republican party.