This story was last updated at 9:50 p.m.
The polls have officially closed in Westchester County, and the results are slowly starting to trickle in.
It’s still too early to tell which of Rye’s mayoral candidates – Republican Bill Henderson, Democrat Josh Nathan, or independent Rick McCabe – has a definitive advantage, but the race is projected to be close.
Henderson, a former prosecutor and current city councilman, has won big in the fundraising battle – raking in more than $58,000 during the campaign, a $31,000 margin over his Democratic rival, Nathan, who raised slightly more than $26,000.
The Republican mayoral candidate is running with City Council candidates Robin Jovanovich, Maria Shuck, and James Fee.
At Henderson’s election night party at The Apawamis Club, Jovanovich commended the top of her ticket.
“Bill Henderson is a great team leader,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked as hard. He’d call and say, ‘Today we are going to this neighborhood to knock on doors.’ We knocked on 3,000 doors. It’s been wonderful.”
Henderson reportedly went to the train station this morning, played golf with some college buddies in the afternoon, and then went back to the train station to meet the afternoon commuters. At his election party he sipped on a red wine as supporters started to join him at the bar.
But fundraising doesn’t necessarily mean Henderson’s GOP slate is a shoo-in.
Nathan, the former Rye City Board of Education president and current city councilman, is relying on his party’s deep infrastructure to turn out the vote out. Democratic voters (4,800) outnumber both Republican (3,008) and unaffiliated voters (3,776) in Rye.
At the Democrats’ election night party at Rye Bar & Grill, the mood is optimistic. U.S. Rep. George Latimer, state Sen. Shelley Mayer, former Rye city mayor Steve Otis and other local party leaders gathered around a table of cheese, crackers, and vegetables while awaiting the slate’s arrival.
Running alongside Nathan are Council Candidates Marion Anderson, Amy Kesavan, and James Ward.
McCabe’s independent bid provides a clear contrast to recent mayoral elections, and time will tell whether he’s in serious contention for a monumental upset or simply siphons votes away either from Henderson or Nathan.
His impact on the race has been a concern for both political parties.
McCabe ran briefly on the Republican line in a bid for City Council last year. (He later dropped out of the race for health reasons). But he also has the backing of a group of Democrats, who are no longer affiliated with the local party, including former party chair Meg Cameron, Deputy Mayor Julie Souza, and ex-Councilwoman Emily Hurd.
A few voters today, however, weren’t bothered by McCabe’s candidacy – some even seemed interested at the prospect of a politically unaffiliated candidate.
Beth and David Conley, who voted at City Hall today, said the presence of an independent candidate on the ballot was not an issue for them.
“I don’t think it hurts,” Beth Conley said. “We’ve live in a world where a little moderation between political parties is a good thing.”
She added, “This is a great little town; we want to keep it that way.”
Lorraine Mingone, however, said she worried that McCabe wouldn’t have enough City Council support to get things done if he was elected.
Another voter at the Milton Firehouse, who declined to provide her name, said she was voting a straight line for the ticket “that had both Republicans and Democrats” in an apparent nod to the Republican ticket – with registered Democratic council candidates Robin Jovanovich and Maria Shuck.
“I love” that,” the voter said.
Rye Voters Emphasize Civic Duty, Development
Paula Summa, who has lived in Rye for more than 20 years, told The Record she voted today because it’s her “civic duty.”
The unusual part of this election, she said from City Hall, is that “Westchester County is at a crossroads. We have to decide – do we want more government and more government spending or less government and less government spending?”
As for the city elections on the ballot, Summa said “We are lucky in Rye.” The candidates for City Council and mayor “are all along the same lines.”
Similarly, Jonathan Kraut – a local land use attorney who cast his ballot at the Damiano Center early this afternoon – said his grandfather, who was an immigrant, always told him, “‘You have to vote, rain or shine.’ I vote in every election.”
Lorraine and Arthur Mingone had their grandchildren in tow when they cast their ballots at the Damiano Center. Lorraine Mingone said they always try to bring the kids to impart to them the importance of voting.
The Mingones voters told The Record development has been a key issue for them this campaign season.
A 40-year resident of Rye, Lorraine Mingone said she was glad most of the candidates were in favor of restricting the kinds of construction that is going on around town.
They weren’t alone – multiple Rye voters said development has been an issue at the top of their minds this election.
“On the whole, I’m concerned that we’ve got too much development without proper guidelines,” Beth Conley told The Record from her City Hall polling place.
Her partner David Conley agreed. “We’ve got too big houses on too small lots,” he said.
Rob Rogers, owner of Carpet Trends on Smith Street, told The Record at the Damiano Center polling precinct that he was voting today because he’s concerned that his business is in a location where the city’s 40-year-old comprehensive plan is marked as the site of future parking. Though he wouldn’t reveal who he was voting for, he “trusts” his candidate to do what is best for the city, he said.
Early Voting Totals
Less than 1,250 voters in Rye cast their ballots during this year’s early voting period, from Oct. 25 through Nov. 2. Of those, 611 were Democratic voters, 329 were Republicans, and 300 were unaffiliated.
For more of The Record’s election coverage, click here.
Additional reporting by Rosie Newmark.
