Politics & Government

White Plains Unofficial 2012 Election Results

Here's your hub for live updates on polls, election results and more.

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Local races and results:

U.S. House of Representatives, District 17

Candidates # of votes  percentage of votes Nita Lowey (D) 139,876 (80% of vote tallied in Westchester) Joe Carvin (R) 75,736 Frank Morganthaler (We the People)  2,164

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New York State Senate, District 37

Candidates # of votes percentage of vote George Lattimer (D)
47,862 55% Bob Cohen (R) 
39,771 45%

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New York State Assembly, District 88

Candidates (vote for 1) # of votes  percentage of vote  Amy Paulin (D) 30,692 100%

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New York State Assembly, District 93

Candidates # of votes  percentage of vote Robert Castelli (R)  20,073 47% David Buchwald (D) 22,532 53%

New York State Senate, District 35

Candidate # of votes percentage of vote Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) 56,098 100%

*Results are according to the Westchester County Board of Elections

Unofficial Results Show Incumbent Democrat Lowey Winning

With all of Rockland's districts unofficially counted, incumbent Nita Lowey led her opponents on Election Day with almost 62 percent of the vote to represent the redrawn 17th Congressional District.

The district includes all of Rockland County and parts of Westchester County. A 75-year-old Harrison Democrat, Lowey has served in Congress since 1993. 

Her opponents were Republican Joe Carvin and Frank Morganthaler, who ran on the "We the People" party line.  Morganthaler is 64 and lives in Hawthorne. Carvin is the Rye Town supervisor.

In Rockland County, 115,794 voters cast ballots in Tuesday's elections. With 100 percent of Rockland's election districts in, Rockland's results showed:

Westchester’s unofficial tally showed Lowey with 75,766 votes, Carvin with 37.089, and Morganthaler with 1,011. Those votes were with 80 percent of the ballots counted.

The Rockland County Democratic Committee took over Town & Country in Congers while Rockland County Republicans watched election updates throughout the night at Casa Mia in Blauvelt.

Vincent Reda, Rockland Republican chair, said it was a disappointing night for republicans. He was joined by Carvin. 

"This is the most important election of our lifetime,” said Carvin. “It really is and I'm very hopeful that we win tonight. I guess it's not looking as good as we want it to early on, but you know what? Everybody can go home tonight and say, 'we gave it everything we had.' Everybody can go home tonight and say, 'we fought the good fight.' You know what? If we lose tomorrow morning, we get up, we dust ourselves off and we get fighting again because we're fighting for the United States of America, the land that we love and people we believe in."

District 17 includes all of Rockland County and Yorktown, Peekskill, Cortlandt, Mount Kisco, New Castle, Ossining, Mount Pleasant, North Castle, Greenburgh, Harrison, Rye in Westchester County

Buchwald Unseats Castelli in 93rd Assembly Race

Democrat David Buchwald has defeated incumbent Republican Robert Castelli in New York's 93rd Assembly District.

Buchwald, a White Plains Common Council member, had captured 53 percent of the vote with 88 percent of districts reporting when Castelli conceded the election. The Democrat celebrated the victory with supporters at Vintage in White Plains Tuesday night.

"I will be working every day to make sure we have a state government that is moving us forward, helping those less fortunate but also giving people the tools and opportunities they need to help themselves and to make sure that we are leading the nation," Buchwald said.

Castelli conceded the race at a gathering for county Republicans at the Crowne Plaza hotel in White Plains.

He praised his fellow Republican candidates, including Bob Cohen, saying, "It was a tremendous honor to run alongside you."

Castelli thanked his supporters, whom he said were "unsung heroes" for the hours, minutes and days that they worked on his campaign.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," he said. "Rest assured, I will be committed to my job as Assemblyman of the 89th District until 11:59 p.m. on December 31."

Once in office, Buchwald said his first priority will be the local economy.

"We are in need of a well-coordinated approach to bring good paying jobs back into the area," he said. "I know that's exactly what we need, an ambassador who will work to promote the great opportunities there are here for companies to come and really bring us forward not just for the next year or two, but for decades to come."

Latimer Wins State Senate Seat

As supporters chanted "George, George, George," at a Democratic Party rally in White Plains, George Latimer declared victory in New York's 37th State Senate district just after midnight Wednesday.

The assemblyman thanked a room full of supporters in the Coliseum Night Club on S Broadway in White Plains.

"The people chose these seats," he said.

With 81 percent of district’s reporting, Latimer had received 55 percent of the vote to Republican Bob Cohen’s 45.

Latimer's victory keeps the 37th State Senate seat long held by Suzi Oppenheimer under Democratic control. Oppenheimer has occupied the seat since 1984. She did not run for re-election this year and will retire after completing her 14th term in December.

Bob Cohen (R) conceded the race at the Crown Plaza in White Plains, acknowledging that his campaign—and the campaigns of his fellow Republicans—fell short.

"But that's only part of the story," he said.

Cohen said Republicans needed to build up their party and reach out to conservative, independent and unaffiliated voters in Westchester County.

"We need to put forth the positions we espouse: Lower taxes, more effective government and an improved climate for business," he said. "We need to educate voters who tend to vote along party lines in a presidential election about these issues that matter."

Stewart-Cousins Looking Forward To New Term

Tonight, the incumbent state senator and Democrat told Patch she was excited for the coming term.

"I am really excited," Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. "I believe this is what the majority of people want, to see us go forward as a nation and go forward as a state. The wins can help us continue to progress our work with the government of course, and bring progress and important policies forward in the nation."

Update: 11:23 p.m.

Buchwald said voting machines from two districts malfunctioned in White Plains today. He said results from those machines will not be available tonight.

Update: 11:12 p.m.

David Buchwald has arrived at Vintage Bar in White Plains and says he is “cautiously optimistic” about his chances of unseating incumbent Robert Castelli in the newly formed 93rd New York State Assembly district.

Update: 7:53 p.m.

Lines are building at White Plains polling locations with a little more than an hour left before polls close on the 2012 election.

Voters were waiting about 15 to 20 minutes at Mamaroneck Ave. School a little before 8 p.m. An election inspector there said voting district 36 has been busy throughout the day.

Polls will remain open until 9 p.m.

Check back with Patch tonight for the latest results as they become available.

Update: Discuss the 2012 election live with Patch.

Update: 5:47 p.m.

Sen. Stewart-Cousins to Watch Results in White Plains Tonight

Incumbent NY State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins will be watching the election results live with Westchester County Democrats at the Crown Plaza Hotel in White Plains tonight.

Stewart-Cousins, who is running unopposed, represents Scarsdale, Mount Pleasant, Greenburgh, part of New Rochelle, Yonkers, part of Pelham and White Plains.

Update 4:30 p.m.

White Plains Voters Talk Presidential Race

Jacquelyn Shoulders at Fire Station #5 on Robertson Ave.

"We need a president who is going to support the people and care about the people." "A lot of people say 'oh it doesn't matter my one vote', it makes a big difference. Every vote counts."

Frank Zicca at Fire Station #5 on Robertson Ave.

"We think Medicare should be saved as it is, I think Social Security should be how it is. We need to deal with it in a responsible way, but to out and out get rid of them without so much as a say from the people... It's not the way to go."

"You pay into something and you expect something back, I really cast my vote for my mom, my aunts and our future."

Jeff Rogan at Mamaroneck Ave. Elementary School

"What I'm seeing as the biggest thing confronting us in terms of economic issues is the repeal of Obamacare and lowering taxes generally."

"It's going to ruin us, it's the cost and it's just the government doing more than what it should be doing in terms of the U.S. Constitution."

Barbara Banfield at White Plains High School

"The economy and the environment (are key issues)." "I don't think either one is going to be able to make that big of a difference in the way things are."

Drea Haas at Mamaroneck Elementary School

"I prefer the policies of Obama rather than Romeny," "I think Mitt Romney is scary, I think he's not for things that I'm for."

Update 4 p.m.

Unopposed Amy Paulin in White Plains Tonight

Update: 4 p.m.

Close Finish Expected in 37th State Senate Race

State Senate candidates George Latimer (D) and Bob Cohen (R) are preparing for what could be a long night, as their neck-and-neck race for the 37th State Senate District is expected to go down to the wire.

Cohen, who lost his bid for the same seat to Suzi Oppenheimer (D) by a slim margin in 2010, said he is hopeful results will be finalized tonight but that absentee ballots could again determine the outcome. 

"It will be close," Cohen said. "We'll see if we have a result finalized."

Both candidates were campaigning throughout Westchester County Tuesday. Cohen said he has been visiting train stations and speaking with voters since early this morning. Latimer said he has been to Tuckahoe, Yonkers, Mamaroneck and Rye with plans for other locations before the polls close.

"In our race, it's going to be razor-thin," Latimer said Tuesday afternoon. "I don't expect either a concession speech or an acceptance speech from either of us tonight, it's going to be that close."

Oppenheimer has occupied the 37th State Senate seat since 1984. She did not run for re-election this year and will retire after completing her 14th term in December.

Latimer has served in the New York State Assembly and announced his bid to run for state senate in March. Cohen is a real estate executive from Scarsdale who also announced his candidacy this spring.

The race between the two has been testy at times. Both candidates lodged complaints with the county's Fair Campaign Practices Committee in early October. At the time Latimer accused Cohen of "blatantly misleading viewers" during a televised campaign advertisement. The committee made no finding.

Cohen's complaint that Latimer's campaign manager had contacted The Journal News about the unfair campaign practice allegation was upheld. FCPC rules state that only the committee can send out releases involving unfair practices to the press.

The two men were back in front of the committee two weeks later, when a mailing distributed by the Latimer campaign calling Cohen a "slumlord" garnered five complaints from the Cohen campaign.

The Fair Campaign Practices Committee ruled that one phrase in the mailing was unfair.

With the campaign nearing its end, both men said they are ready for the public to make the final choice. 

"It's in the hands of the voters now," Latimer said. "It's their choice, it's the people's say."

"Today is a day for people to basically tell us the direction of the state and the nation," Cohen said. "We're very happy, we're confident."

The 37th Senate District is comprised of parts of New Rochelle and White Plains, Bedford-Katonah, Harrison, Rye, Port Chester, Larchmont-Mamaroneck and Bronxville-Eastchester.

Update: 1:30 p.m.

Assembly Candidates Impressed By Voter Turnout

Assemblyman Robert Castelli, who is running for re-election as the 93rd district's representative in Albany, voted at Increase Miller Elementary School at noon today. He said the power outages were his focus today—not "standing at the train station, kissing babies," which he said would not have been appropriate in the aftermath of storm Sandy.

He acknowledged the work done so far by utility companies to restore power to thousands of residents but said the "slow start time" was disappointing for the residents in his district. "They knew the storm was coming, and crews should have been in place before the storm, not three days after it arrived," he said.

"Whether or not I am re-elected, I am still here to do a job, and that, right now, is to work on this power situation," he said.

Castelli's opponent, White Plains attorney David Buchwald, voted in White Plains earlier today. When reached by Patch he said he was inspired by the turnout he was seeing, despite the power outages and disruptions caused by the storm.

"Voters are enthusiastic," he said. "The top issues today are to get everyone's power back, but for the long-term, voters want to see a good number of jobs brought to the area. Now it is up to the voters, and I am eager to see how this race turns out."


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