Rye Mayor Josh Cohn fended off a challenge from Danielle Tagger-Epstein in the Democratic primary June 22, garnering an unofficial 62% of the votes cast. Cohn received 513 votes to Tagger-Epstein’s 319, with the total votes cast, 832, seemingly at odds with the candidates’ weeks-long, hard-fought, at times personal intramural battle.

What does the outcome mean for the general election in November? It means that Cohn’s name will now occupy both the Democratic as well as Republican party lines. One way to analyze the primary outcome: 194 Rye voters made a difference, all but ensuring a second term for Cohn.

Asked to reflect on her campaign and the outcome, Tagger-Epstein told the paper, and subsequently wrote in a letter to supporters, “While I am disappointed in the outcome, both because it deprives voters a more informed choice in the general election, and because I believe I offered a better vision for the city of Rye, I accepted the results and called Josh Cohn to congratulate him on his win.”

She was proud to have run “an honest and positive campaign, free of vitriol and smear. We focused on the issues and priorities that we believed are vital to Rye’s future.”

Commenting on his win, Cohn said, “I am very pleased with the win, which was made possible by incredibly hard-working volunteers and enthusiastic supporters. 
I am also glad not to have to focus on the primary anymore so that I can give more attention to day-to-day business.”

He added, “Turnout was pretty much as expected for an off-year primary. Perhaps the rain dampened some voters’ enthusiasm for a trip to the polls, but it’s hard to tell.”

• <Rye Record Staff>