Richard Wishnie, a former county legislator and current commissioner of emergency services for the county, has been named acting Westchester County executive to temporarily take over the seat vacated when George Latimer resigned to assume a seat in Congress. Latimer is due to be sworn in as a member of the 119th Congress, which is scheduled to convene in Washington on Jan. 3 at noon.
Vedat Gashi, chairman of the Board of Legislators, made the appointment of Wishnie today. Wishnie’s appointment will remain in effect for several days until the Board of Legislators meets to select an acting county executive to serve for 90 days until a special election can be held. The individual who wins the special election would serve the balance of the final year of Latimer’s unexpired term.
Wishnie, left, and Ken Jenkins exchange greetings after Wishnie is sworn in as acting county executive.It had been widely expected that Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins would move up to fill the set vacated by Latimer. Wishnie had high praise for Jenkins and said it is an honor to serve as county executive even for a brief period. Wishnie and Jenkins stood next to each other and exchanged pleasantries when a group photo was taken after the announcement and the two exchanged greetings after Wishnie took the oath of office.
“Over the next five days I will serve as acting Westchester County executive to the best of my ability, concluding my service in this position on January 6, 2025,” Wishnie said. “During my term as acting county executive I am committed to upholding the successful policies of the past seven years.”
Wishnie referred to Jenkins as having wisdom and unmatched experience. He said that Jenkins’ unmatched skills will be important in navigating the transition following Latimer’s move to Congress.
