In a special election on Feb. 11, Westchester County Executive voters will choose between two experienced candidates: Democrat Ken Jenkins and Republican Christine Sculti. This election comes after George Latimer stepped down from his position to take the congressional seat he won last November.
The Role of County Executive
The position of County Executive is one of significant responsibility, serving as the chief executive officer of the county government. The County Executive is tasked with administering the day-to-day affairs of the county, overseeing the implementation of policies, and making critical decisions that affect the lives of the county’s residents.
The Candidates
Ken Jenkins has nearly two decades of experience in the Westchester County government, including seven years as deputy county executive under Latimer. During this time, he worked on initiatives focused on economic development, affordable housing, and public safety.
In addition to his role as deputy county executive, Jenkins has served as Treasurer of the New York State Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Yonkers Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Black Democrats of Westchester, and Secretary of the Westchester County Democratic Committee, in addition to serving on its Executive Committee.
One of Jenkins’s top priorities is affordable housing. As county executive, he has pledged to continue the work started with Latimer and pursue making housing in Westchester as affordable as possible:
“Over the last eight years, we’ve [Latimer Administration] built 6,600 units of affordable housing throughout Westchester County, and that makes sure that people, whether they’re young people that want to live in the communities that they grew up in, as well as seniors when their incomes become fixed, that they want to retire here in Westchester,” Jenkins told Tower.
Christine Sculti also has an extensive background in the Westchester County government. Sculti served as Chief Advisor to former County Executive Rob Astorino as well as Chair and CEO of the Westchester County Taxi & Limousine Commission, Regional Director and Statewide Troubleshooter for the New York State Consumer Protection Board, and a leader in economic development for the state of New York.
Sculti’s campaign is based on a platform of fiscal responsibility and repealing the “sanctuary law”. Passed in 2018, the law restricts when county employees can interact with federal immigration authorities or disclose someone’s immigration status.
In her campaign materials on Facebook, Sculti promised to “put a stop to Jenkins’s irresponsible tax hikes and bring back fiscal responsibility.”
She also said that she would establish the Office of Parental Rights and “make it a priority to ensure that parents, not bureaucrats, make decisions about their children’s well-being in school.”
Polls open for the election on 6 a.m. Feb. 11 and close at 9 p.m.
* Sculti was unable to be reached
