Dozens of endorsements made in 'incredibly important' Westchester over governor's race

On Wednesday afternoon, Attorney General Letitia James' campaign for governor sent out a standard press release announcing she'd be in Westchester the next day.

James' Wednesday statement said nothing other than she would be in White Plains in front of the county courthouse with supporters. But before James could roll out the eventual endorsements of more than a dozen county leaders, Gov. Kathy Hochul countered with her own slate of endorsements from Westchester.

And in less than 24 hours, the fight to win votes in a Democratic stronghold was on. The two Democratic frontrunners in the race for New York governor had drawn early dividing lines in a county that could prove critical next June.

James had County Executive George Latimer and other county lawmakers in her corner Thursday, while Hochul boasted the support of three mayors who lead some of the county's largest cities, as well as several state legislators who represent Westchester and Rockland counties.

The early endorsements for both come at a time when four candidates have announced their intentions to run for the seat vacated by ex-governor Andrew Cuomo in August amid scandal: Hochul, James, Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

Westchester has almost 320,000 registered Democrats; in the last governor's primary between Cuomo and actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, more than 91,000 Democrats went to the polls.

Dining: Yorktown is attracting new restaurants; see what's recently opened

COVID: New York announces five cases of omicron variant

Education: Counties, schools struggling to use testing alternative to student quarantines

Latimer, during a press conference with James, said his endorsement was a "positive statement about who Tish James is and what she accomplished in her public service."

In a follow-up statement sent by the James campaign, Latimer said James would break the status quo to "deliver real change."

James said she was honored to receive the support of Latimer and other county lawmakers who "matter to Westchester and our entire state."

Hochul, meanwhile, got a boost of support from Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson and White Plains Mayor Tom Roach and several assembly members.

"(Hochul's) sense of urgency and energy is informed by service at every level of government and deep knowledge of every corner of our state," Assemblyman Steve Otis said in a statement.

Spano, who leads the state's third largest city, commended Hochul for getting much done in a short time, stressing she has "demonstrated her ability to govern effectively and with purpose, especially during such turbulent and uncertain times."

Spano, just six months earlier, lightly criticized Hochul when she was still lieutenant governor as someone who had "little to offer" Yonkers in a tweet he quickly deleted. A Yonkers spokesperson later explained it was connected to the state's trouble to curb gun violence.

Westchester's factor statewide

Political insiders believe Westchester could be influential in the primary.

"Can the suburbs and particularly Westchester, can they be the difference in votes in this election?" said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant. "And the answer is not impossible and quite likely."

With Suozzi's entrance into the race, Sheinkopf said Westchester becomes more important because it's expected Suozzi will do well in other suburbs such as Nassau and Suffolk counties.

He said early endorsements create the perception that there is a groundswell of support for a particular candidate in the area.

Democratic political consultant Jake Dilemani said about 20% of votes for Democratic primaries come out of suburbs including Long Island, Westchester and everywhere south of Poughkeepsie. He expects a lot of campaigning in the county.

Dilemani said Westchester is "incredibly important" compared to other suburban counties in a statewide primary.

Dilemani noted not all endorsements carry the same weight. He called an endorsement from Latimer "incredibly meaningful."

Latimer and lieutenant governor

Latimer's endorsement comes at a time when James is still pondering a lieutenant governor pick to be her running mate. Latimer's name has been raised as a possible selection.

He's fresh off a reelection win to capture a second term in the county executive's office, clinching 62% of the vote. James spoke at Latimer's campaign headquarters on election night.

The 68-year-old Rye resident has held various offices for three decades.

Speaking Thursday, James said her campaign is vetting a number of candidates for lieutenant governor.

“It is really critically important that we have someone who shares the same values and someone who believes in getting things done," James said.

Photographer Mark Vergari contributed to this report.

David Propper covers Westchester County. Reach him at dpropper@lohud.com and follow him on Twitter: dg_props.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester County elected officials choose sides in governor's race