Ken Jenkins, the Democratic county executive, easily fended off GOP challenger Christine Sculti in a special election, despite a last-minute push from President Donald Trump to vote Republican.
Jenkins declared victory winning 61 percent of the vote over Sculti, with just over 80 percent of districts reporting Tuesday night. Jenkins’ win keeps him in the county executive post through the end of the year, filling out the unexpired term of George Latimer, who vacated the position in early January to take a seat in Congress.
“I’m honored and humbled to be elected as your county executive,” Jenkins, 63, told his supporters. “We’re going to continue to celebrate and embrace Westchester’s diversity because we know diversity is strength right.”
He plans to prioritize affordable housing, safer communities, the environment, public transportation as well as health care during his tenure, according to information from his campaign website.
Jenkins, the first Black county executive, was appointed on Jan. 6, after serving as Latimer’s deputy county executive since 2018.
He must run again in November to secure a full four-year term. A Yonkers resident, Jenkins was beaten by Latimer, of Rye, in a Democratic primary for the seat in 2017.
A longtime fixture in local Democratic politics, he has held key roles, including treasurer of the state Democratic Committee, chairman of the Black Democrats of Westchester as well as a stint as chairman of the county Board of Legislators. He has also worked in telecommunications at Apple and AT&T and gained real estate experience as an owner and broker.
Sculti, 60, was hoping to become the first woman to hold the county executive position in the abbreviated campaign. She currently serves as a deputy elections commissioner for Westchester County and was a former advisor in ex-County Executive Rob Astorino’s administration.
She called to concede the race to Jenkins Tuesday night, News12 reported.
Sculti ran on a platform to repeal the county’s Immigrant Protection Act, which limits Westchester agencies’ ability to coordinate with federal immigration authorities, according to WAMC Radio.
She also ran for the seat in 2021, when she lost to Latimer.
President Trump weighed into the local race on Monday with a post on TruthSocial, urging residents to vote for the Republican candidate and claiming that county Democrats have made Westchester a “sanctuary county” by protecting “criminal illegals.”
Both candidates intend to run again in the Nov. 4 general election, according to Lohud.
