The only local question where any Town of Pelham voters have a choice this election is one about elections. In the Village of Pelham Manor, residents are voting on whether their village’s elections should shift from March to November.
The other village and town races on the ballot are not competitive.
Polls are open Tuesday, Election Day, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Village of Pelham residents vote at Daronco Town House, 20 Fifth Avenue, and Village of Pelham Manor residents at Our Lady of Perpetual Help school, 575 Fowler Ave. Early voting in New York State began on Saturday.
In the fifth year since the Village of Pelham moved its elections to November, the Democratic candidates for the village board are without Republican opponents. Incumbents Hanan Eldahry and Russell Solomon and newcomer Krystal Howell are running for two-year terms as trustees. At the Town of Pelham level, Justice John Gardner is seeking reelection to the town bench on the Democratic line and is also unopposed.
Here is the text of the Village of Pelham Manor referendum, which is Proposition 3 on Pelham Manor ballots:
“Shall the General Village Election of the Village of Pelham Manor be held annually on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday in November and be conducted by the Westchester County Board of Elections, with the term of office of each elected Village Officer currently holding office extended so as to terminate at noon on the first Monday in December in the year in which their term of office would otherwise expire, upon which date the term of office of any subsequently-elected Village Officer will commence?”
An abstract explaining the text can be found here on the Westchester Board of Elections website.
The proposition arrives before voters after courtroom drama this summer.
Erica Winter, co-chairwoman of the Move the Manor Village Election Committee, delivered an 801-signature petition calling for the referendum on July 1 to Pelham Manor Village Manager Lindsey Luft, who in her role as village clerk reviewed and rejected the petition four days later. Winter and Pelham Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Allison Frost won a reversal in state court. The all-Republican Pelham Manor Board of Trustees, Luft and the Republican county election commissioner lost an appeal of that decision, and the four-judge appellate panel sent the issue to the people of the Manor to decide.
Howell, who is presumptive winner of the Village of Pelham trustee seat Kim McGreal will vacate at the end of the year, grew up in Pelham, has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and has spent 20 years working in the energy sector.
“I come from a family that has always been focused on helping others and giving back,” said Howell in an interview. Howell said she wants to work on storm resiliency, ways to support Pelham’s downtown and the creation of a portal for submission of ideas or questions by residents.
In her campaign statement, Howell said, “As a proud descendant of civil rights leader Septima Poinsette Clark, who was dubbed ‘The Mother of the Movement,’ servant leadership is woven into my DNA. I am seeking your support to continue this legacy and further enhance this great place we all call home.”
The Village of Pelham board has seven members and will remain all Democratic when this year’s candidates are confirmed elected.
One county referendum is on the ballot. Proposition 2 asks voters to change the term of office for Westchester County legislators from two years to four years.
Kara McLoughlin • Oct 30, 2024 at 2:26 pm
I am curious as to why the Republican Party or the Neighborhood Party have not put up any candidates for election in the Village of Pelham. They ran people for Town Supervisor, Clerk, and Receiver of Taxes last year, all uncontested. They also ran someone for Town Council, challenging the incumbents. Why not run candidates for Trustee in the Village of Pelham?
Scott Wolfgang • Oct 30, 2024 at 4:26 pm
The Receiver of Taxes is a 4-year role that was last elected in 2021 and thus did not have a race last year. That being said, that role, the supervisor and clerk to which you refer were all uncontested so there were not any personal attacks to bear for the candidates, which I am sure plays a role when someone decides whether to run.
Scott Wolfgang • Oct 30, 2024 at 11:17 am
Thank you for pointing out that we will once again have an uncontested election in VoP this November. This is not rare as of the 22 local races on the November 2024 ballot across Westchester County, only 2 are contested (Tuckahoe & Mt. Kisco Village Trustee races). The proponents of Prop 3 all seem focused on turnout, yet no one seems concerned that November Presidential year elections produce virtually no local candidate choice. Why does it matter if 1000+ more people may show up to vote in Presidential years if you can only vote for one set of candidates?
It’s actually not hard to understand the lack of concern from the partisan proponents of Prop 3 when you realize that 19 of the 20 uncontested local races this November are 100% Democrat candidates (the one that isn’t is a non-partisan race). One large reason why November presidential year races are largely uncontested is it’s not worth the 9-10 months campaigning that the primary system creates when a large number of voters are going to vote across party row on national, November ballots. This is not a positive dynamic for VoPM when you will have more people voting party (regardless if R or D) in November versus the most qualified local candidate when you simply have 2 choices on our current, local March ballot.
Just think about the dynamic in VoP where we have experienced rapid, large-scale development and doubled the village debt without any real discussion as there are no longer competitive races to hold leadership accountable.