2017 Westchester County Board of Legislators elections

2017 Westchester County Board of Legislators election

November 7, 2017
All 17 seats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party Democratic Republican Conservative Last election 9 7 1 Seats won 12 4 1 Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 123,701 55,310 8,117 Percentage 65.39% 29.24% 4.29% Swing 6.71% 6.81% 0.11%

The 2017 Westchester County Board of Legislators elections were held on 7 November 2017 in conjunction with the 2017 Westchester County Executive election. The elections resulted in major gains for the Democratic Party with the party flipping three previously Republican seats and control of the County Legislature from a Republican led Coalition. Benjamin Boykin became chair of the board and Catherine Parker Majority leader. Lohud attributed the major Democratic gains in heavily Democratic Westchester County as a reaction to the election of Donald Trump at the 2016 United States presidential election. The Democratic vote increased 6.71% as compared with the 2015 board of legislator elections. Democrats gained one seat they had previously left uncontested, the Peekskill based District 1 in addition to winning Districts 2 and 10 with their vote share increasing 8.13% and 5.48% respectively.

Electoral System

Members of the Board of Legislators are elected every two years during the off-year elections. Elections are conducted using first-past-the-post in 17 single member districts. Like all partisan elections in New York, fusion tickets are used.

Results

2017 Westchester County Board of Legislators Election Results
Party		Candidates	Votes	%	% +/–	Seats	Seats +/–
	Democratic	16	123,701	65.39%	6.71%	12	3
	Republican	9	55,310	29.24%	6.81%	4	3
	Conservative	1	8,117	4.29%	0.11%	1
	Independence	1	1,017	0.54%	New	0	New
	Working Families	1	650	0.34%	New	0	New
	Write-in	N/A	380	0.20%	0.17%	0	0
Valid votes		28	189,175	84.12%	4.92%	17
Blank votes		–	35,724	15.88%	4.92%	–	–
Registered voters/Turnout		–	598,126	37.6%	14.4%	–	–
Source: Westchester County Board of Elections results

*Results are added up for the party each candidate is a member of, not fusion tickets.

Popular vote Democratic   65.39% Republican   29.24% Other   5.37%

By district

BOLD represents a flip and ITALICS represent a new legislator of the same party.

District	Incumbent	Party		+/- D%	Elected Legislator	Party
1	John G. Testa		Rep	+43.86%	John G. Testa		Rep
2	Francis T. Corcoran		Rep	+8.13%	Kitley Covill		Dem
3	Margareta A. Cunzio		Con	+0.88%	Margareta A. Cunzio		Con
4	Michael B. Kaplowitz		Dem	–0.01%	Michael B. Kaplowitz		Dem
5	Benjamin Boykin II		Dem	+0.45%	Benjamin Boykin II		Dem
6	David B. Gelfarb		Rep	+53.03%	Nancy E. Barr		Dem
7	Catherine F. Parker		Dem	+7.04%	Catherine F. Parker		Dem
8	Alfreda A. Williams		Dem	+0.27%	Alfreda A. Williams		Dem
9	Catherine A. Borgia		Dem	–1.72%	Catherine A. Borgia		Dem
10	Sheila M. Marcotte		Rep	+5.48%	Damon R. Mather		Dem
11	James Maisano		Rep	N/A	James Maisano		Rep
12	MaryJane C. Shimsky		Dem	+0.06%	MaryJane C. Shimsky		Dem
13	Lyndon D. Williams		Dem	+0.09%	Lyndon D. Williams		Dem
14	Bernice Spreckman		Rep	–0.32%	David J. Tubiolo		Rep
15	Gordon A. Burrows		Rep	+6.58%	Gordon A. Burrows		Rep
16	Ken Jenkins		Dem	–15.34%	Christopher A. Johnson		Dem
17	Jose I. Alvadrado		Dem	+5.19%	Jose I. Alvadrado		Dem

Close races

Districts where the margin of victory was under 10%:

1. District 6, 6.10% (gain)
2. District 10, 6.14% (gain)
3. District 15, 7.88%

See also

• 2017 Westchester County Executive election
• Westchester County Board of Legislators