Republican Rob Astorino won a second term as Westchester County executive Tuesday night, shrugging off a nearly two-to-one voter disadvantage to beat Democratic challenger Noam Bramson.
Astorino”™s message of holding the line on taxes seemed to resonate with voters in a county that has grown increasingly Democratic since the 1990s. Astorino led Bramson 55 percent to 45 percent, with 80 percent of county election districts counted as of Wednesday morning.
Astorino said the result showed he had received support from across the aisle and from independent voters. “That”™s how I won in 2009 and that”™s how I won in 2013,” he said in an election night interview at White Plains”™s Crowne Plaza hotel.
Astorino was first elected in 2009, pledging to rein in county spending and unseating 12-year incumbent Andy Spano in a result both sides viewed as a referendum on taxes. This election, Astorino said, was a referendum on the decisions he made during his first term. “We made some tough decisions but they were the right decisions to get this county under control,” he said.
The county executive said he has had a pro-business agenda during his first term and for the future he would be interested in meeting with corporations leaving New York City to entice them to set up shop in Westchester. He said one of his successes in office was to establish the county as a business destination again by keeping taxes reasonable and working with local business leaders. “Part of the reason we won is we are in lockstep with the business community,” he said.
Bramson called to congratulate Astorino just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, an hour and a half after polls closed. By that time, only 20 percent of districts had reported, but Astorino was pulling away and had received strong support in traditionally Democratic voting districts. Bramson then gave his concession speech in front of a somber crowd at the Hilton Westchester (formerly the Rye Town Hilton).
During the campaign, the challenger had painted his opponent as an extreme social conservative who had cut vital social programs in the county.
“My regret is that I wasn”™t able to bring home the victory that each of you deserved and that we won”™t have an opportunity to make a difference for all the people in our county who need an advocate and a champion,” he said. “There is so much I wanted to do and that work will have to wait.”
Bramson said he would continue serving as the mayor of New Rochelle, a post he has held since 2006.
Astorino is already rumored to be a Republican gubernatorial candidate to challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014. Asked about his future plans, the county executive laughed.
“The next step is to take a vacation, spend some time with my family and put my feet up,” he said.
The county executive serves a four-year term at an annual salary of $160,670.
