Nathan Tops Henderson, McCabe in Unpredictable Mayoral Race

Democrat Josh Nathan was elected Rye’s new mayor on Tuesday night, winning an unusual three-way race that had its share of twists and turns. 

Meanwhile, the Democratic candidates for City Council — Marion Anderson, Amy Kesavan, and James Ward — pulled off a clean sweep, winning all three open seats — and firm Democratic control of the council. 

Nathan, 60, captured 48 percent of the vote, outpacing Republican Bill Henderson (30 percent), and independent Rick McCabe (22 percent), according to unofficial results from the Westchester County Board of Elections. 

Nathan declared victory shortly after 10 p.m., celebrating the hard-fought win alongside his Democratic running mates among supporters at Rye Grill & Bar. 

“There’s good stuff to do, we have an amazing community and now we’ll be able to do it without all of the squabbling,” an elated Nathan said in his victory speech. “We’re going to move Rye along into a really beautiful, climate smart, happy future where neighborhoods are protected.” 

Nathan, a member of the council and a former Board of Education president, added that the council will move quickly to develop a new comprehensive plan to replace the city’s long-outdated plan, which hasn’t been updated since 1985. 

The campaign was defined by its civility, a common theme in recent Rye elections. Nathan said the campaign was one of ideas and focused on what needs to be done to “protect the very best of Rye.” 

The mayoral race pitted two incumbent councilmen who had been strong bipartisan allies on the City Council against each other — and Nathan didn’t lose sight of that in his comments. He called Henderson, 66, his “partner in government” and one of the “finest people I know.” 

“I really have to give a shout out to Bill Henderson,” he continued. “That’s the tough part of this,  because I have so much respect for Billy, and it’s really been an honor and a privilege to speak with him, and it’s a friendship I value and cherish.” 

Right out of the gate, the campaign was turned upside down when a surprise insurgent candidate entered the arena. McCabe, 53, ran without party backing, choosing to buck the political establishment to campaign as an independent. 

McCabe, the Recreation Commission chairman, captured 22 percent of the ballots cast, a strong showing that exceeded expectations.  

One of the unknowns in the election was which establishment candidate McCabe would hurt most. Preliminary results indicate he did the most damage to Henderson. 

Even Henderson was surprised at how well McCabe fared. 

“It was a hopeful campaign,” McCabe told The Record on election night while at Rye Roadhouse with his family and supporters, a gathering that included an appearance by outgoing Mayor Josh Cohn. “I did it in a way that felt good to me. It felt right to me. 

“Doing it as an independent and just trying to shine a light on the fact that we don’t need to operate in a world of, you know, infighting and pettiness and things like that. We can approach these things optimistically.” 

Shortly before 11 p.m. McCabe walked into Rye Grill & Bar to officially concede the race to Nathan. The two engaged in a friendly embrace and chatted briefly. 

 “My hat’s off to Rick McCabe for stepping up and adding to the dialogue, that’s what it’s all about,” Nathan said. 

Over at the Apawamis Club, where the Republicans were gathering to watch the returns, a night that had started off upbeat and full of cautious optimism turned somber as the results came in. 

Expectations had been high for both Henderson and the Republican ticket, which had raised far more money than either their Democratic or independent opponents. The Republicans’ $60,000 in campaign contributions seemed to be a sign that the campaign was trending in the right direction. 

Henderson wasn’t ready to concede the race initially, as Board of Election results trickled in. Henderson said he wanted to see the early voting results and absentee ballots first, although he admitted “it looks good for Josh Nathan.” 

Meanwhile, the Democrats — apparently in possession of full results — declared victory and made their way to the Rye Grill. 

Henderson told The Record that despite what appeared to be a loss he was happy with the campaign the Republicans ran. “I think we ran a great campaign,” he said. 

By 11:30 p.m., Henderson decided to head over to the Rye Grill to chat with Nathan and presumably concede the race. But by the time he arrived there, not only had Nathan and the Democrats left — the bar had already closed. 

Henderson issued a statement Wednesday morning acknowledging the defeat.  

“I want to congratulate Josh Nathan … and his entire ticket … for winning [Tuesday’s] election,” he said. “We are all counting on you. Your success will be Rye’s success.” 

He also thanked McCabe for running, before applauding the work of his Republican running mates and campaign team, calling them “the very best.”  

“The Rye voters have chosen, the election is over, and it’s time to move on,” he concluded.  

Henderson’s term on the City Council expires at the end of the year.  

The results give the mayor and council a solid Democratic majority beginning in January.  

The council will appoint someone to fill Nathan’s current council seat on an interim basis — there are two years remaining on that term. That appointment will likely be made in January. 

In the meantime, Nathan said he’s ready to refocus and put the campaign behind him. 

“When Election Day is over, the partisanship goes away and we focus on the community as a whole,” Nathan said. “That’s the most important thing.” 

Correction: This article was updated on Nov. 5 after it had stated that Rick McCabe had received the highest vote share of any unaffiliated political candidate in recent history. Peter Jovanovich, a Republican who ran for mayor unsuccessfully as an independent in 2013, received 38 percent of that vote.