There are a dozen major primary races in Westchester County and across the rest of the Hudson Valley on June 23.
These races include the Democratic primary for New York’s 17th Congressional District, which could help decide the balance of power in Washington, D.C., several state-level races and local competitions that include incumbents fighting to keep their seats.
Over the past several weeks, News 12 has sat down with many of the candidates that you’ll find on your ballots to better understand their campaigns, their platforms and why they want to represent you in office.
New York’s 17th Congressional District
Five Democrats are vying for the opportunity to flip New York’s 17th Congressional District from red to blue.
The candidates are former Air Force Officer John Cappello, Army Veteran Cait Conley, Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, Tarrytown Village Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley and lawyer Mike Sacks.
The winner of this race will face two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler.
The Cook Political Report designated this race the only true toss-up congressional competition in the state this November.
New York State Comptroller
Tom DiNapoli, New York’s comptroller since 2007, has never faced a primary challenge before, but two other Democrats are aiming for the state’s top elected fiscal official this year.
New York’s comptroller is in charge of the state government payroll, running audits and managing the state’s $300 billion pension fund.
DiNapoli said he’s running to continue securing retirement benefits for state workers, protect New York’s finances against the Trump administration and continue using the office’s audit authority to address affordability and housing.
The two other Democrats on the ballot are former Kansas State Legislature representative Raj Goyle and nonprofit housing executive Drew Warshaw.
Goyle said he hopes to use the office to fight utility rate hikes, divest from fossil fuels and move away from foreign bonds in the pension system.
Warshaw wants to create the largest affordable housing fund in the country, cut out what he describes as Wall Street middlemen managing the state pension and increase the number of audits the office does.
One of just four statewide elected offices in New York, the winner of the June primary will face Republican nominee and entrepreneur Joseph Hernandez in November.
Westchester County
Assembly District 90
Longtime Assemblyman Nader Sayegh’s decision not to seek re-election opened up a huge opportunity at the state level to represent part of Westchester’s largest city.
The 90th Assembly District covers southwest Yonkers.
Sayegh’s chief of staff Frank Jereis is running a primary against attorney and labor organizer Jeanette Garcia.
Jereis is focused on investing in public education, particularly the Yonkers City School District, fixing Tier 6 of the New York State pension system and bringing down the cost of utilities.
Garcia, who is backed by the Working Families Party, is running to fight for policies that better protect tenants’ rights, fix the state’s foundation aid formula and invest in a better community-based healthcare system.
Sayegh has held this seat since he was elected in 2018.
Local businessman John Isaac is the Republican candidate in November.
County Legislature District 15
Two Democrats hope to flip the only Republican seat on the Westchester County Legislature.
Greenburgh-North Castle United Teachers Union President Anthony Nicodemo is running against Yonkers NAACP President Kisha Skipper.
Nicodemo is running to bring down the cost of living by investing more in county-run social services, addressing flooding issues and pursuing better infrastructure.
Skipper said her priorities are making housing and energy more affordable, protecting public health and expanding climate-resilient infrastructure projects.
This district includes Bronxville, Eastchester and Yonkers.
The seat is currently held by Legislature Minority Whip James Nolan. Minority Leader Margaret Cunzio was elected on the Conservative line, making Nolan the only Republican on the board.
County Legislature District 17
Two Democrats are vying for the Westchester County Legislature’s 17th District, which includes southwest Yonkers.
The seat is held by the board’s longest-serving legislator, Jose Alvarado, who announced earlier this year that he was not seeking reelection.
This is a heavily Democratic-favored seat, and the winner of this primary is likely to win outright in November.
Yonkers Dominican Cultural Association President Wilson Terrero is running against former longtime Yonkers City Legislative Aide Leslye Oquendo-Thomas.
Terrero wants to make the county more affordable, fix infrastructure and enhance public safety.
Oquendo-Thomas said she wants to see the county do more to address affordable housing, transportation and higher education, including her calls to reduce or eliminate the cost of the BeeLine bus system and Westchester Community College.
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Westchester County’s longest-serving elected official hasn’t faced many primary challenges, but this one might be his toughest yet.
First elected 34 years ago, Democrat Paul Feinier has held firm control over the Town of Greenburgh.
He said he’s running for reelection despite more than three decades under his belt because he feels he has much more to give. He said if reelected, he’d encourage more youth participation in local politics, cut costs and make critical infrastructure upgrades.
Trying to end his run at the head of the town is Ardsley Village Trustee Barry McGoey.
McGoey said he wants to bring fresh ideas to the town, like bringing back fiscal responsibility, creating more affordable housing and updating the town’s flooding plan.
Both men said they oppose Edgemont’s incorporation efforts.
This race was significantly impacted earlier this year when an independent fiscal audit of the town’s finances found years of poor oversight and weak internal controls, though no intentional misdeeds. Feiner said the town, under his leadership, has taken the steps to remedy the issues, while McGoey blames Feiner for the missteps in the first place.
North Castle Town Supervisor
After winning the seat by just a handful of votes, North Castle Town Supervisor Joseph Rende, a Democrat, is back having to campaign, this time facing a primary challenger.
Rende said he’s running to bring more investments for first responders, address traffic safety and move forward with modernizing town hall.
Challenging him is North Castle Town Councilman Jose Berra, who told News 12 he’s running to protect the town from overdevelopment and overcrowding, bring more transparency to board decisions and cut back on what he sees as wasteful spending of tax dollars.
Larchmont Village Mayor
There is a Democratic primary to see which candidate will most likely succeed outgoing Larchmont Village Mayor Sarah Bauer, who announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection.
This is the village’s first-ever mayoral primary.
Documentary producer Jonathan Silvers is going up against former village trustee Brigid Brennan.
Rockland County
Assembly District 96
Democratic Assemblyman Patrick Carroll is facing a primary challenge on his road to his sophomore term.
Carroll, who represents the 96th District, which includes parts of Rockland County, said he’s running to continue addressing rising utility costs, secure resources for student education and eliminate wasteful tax burdens on Hudson Valley families.
Stony Point accountant P.T. Thomas is running against Carroll.
Thomas said his platform includes fighting tax increases in Albany, lowering utility costs and improving the local education system.
Haverstraw Republican Committee Chairman and former Pomona Mayor Brett Yagel is the Republican candidate who will face the winner of the primary.
Putnam County
Senate District 39
Three well-known northern Hudson Valley Democrats are running against one another, hoping for a chance to flip New York’s 39th Senate District from red to blue.
The candidates are Dutchess County Legislator Lisa Kaul, former Newburgh City Councilwoman Gay Lee and the longest-serving city councilman in Poughkeepsie, Evan Menist.
Kaul said she’ll prioritize affordability issues like housing, education and healthcare, advance climate-forward policies to lower energy costs and protect voting rights in New York.
Lee said her campaign has a mental health-first approach as a licensed clinical social worker. She wants to implement those skills to tackle youth violence, gun control, affordability and drug-use disorder.
Menist said he will fight for stronger tenant protections, cut taxes for seniors and move forward with policies to create a more sustainable development.
This seat covers parts of Dutchess, Orange and Putnam counties and is currently held by Republican Rob Rolison, who is seeking his third term after winning his last general election by just one percentage point in 2024.
County Legislature 3
There are two Republican primary races for the Putnam County Legislature.
The first is in District 3, which includes Kent and Patterson.
The incumbent, Republican Legislator Toni Addonizio, cannot run for reelection because she hit her four-term limit.
Hudson Valley contractor Joseph Cunningham, who is endorsed by the Putnam County Conservative Party, is running against Kent Town Councilman Jorma Tompuri.
Putnam Republicans backed Tompuri in the race.
Small business owner Kathy Kahng is the Democratic candidate in November.
County Legislature 8
In the 8th county legislative district, which includes Mahopac, two Republicans are seeking to replace Republican and former board chair Amy Sayegh, who announced she would not seek reelection despite having eligibility.
This race features Carmel Town Councilman Frank Lombardi against Mahopac school board member Tanner McCracken.
Putnam County Republicans have backed Lombardi while the county’s Conservative Party supports McCracken.
Environmental engineer Gwen Burke is the Democratic candidate in November.
Orange County
Chester Town Council
Two Republicans are fighting for the party’s support for a Chester Town Council seat.
Town Councilman Robert Courtenay is running for reelection. He is running on all three major party lines: Democrat, Working Families and Republican, but the Town of Chester Republicans are hoping to knock the incumbent off at least one.
The town party is backing Chester Republican Committee member Robert Klein.
If Klein wins, he would still have to face Courtenay in November.
Dutchess County
Assembly District 106
For the second election in a row, Democratic Assemblywoman Didi Barrett has a primary challenger.
Barrett has represented the 106th District, which includes parts of Dutchess County, since winning a special election in 2012.
She’s hoping to win another term running on protecting women’s reproductive health, creating a greener Hudson Valley and making sure Hudson Valley’s population growth doesn’t price people out of their homes.
Former special victims prosecutor Sam Hodge is challenging her.
Hodge said his priorities are taxing New York’s ultra-rich, lowering utility costs by expanding clean energy policies and implementing universal childcare.
Barrett won her 2024 primary by more than 1,200 votes.
Voting
Early voting will run from June 13 to 21 ahead of Primary Election Day on Tuesday, June 23.
Check with your local county boards of election for which specific races you’ll find on your ballot.