Smith Wins Tight Race

Sheriff Donald Smith celebrates victory with his wife, Jane, and son, Chris, early Wednesday at a gathering in Mahopac. Former Southeast Town Judge James Borkowski was leading two-term Sheriff Donald Smith in Tuesday’s Republican Primary by 87 votes with two districts to report. But those election precincts in Kent and Patterson made the difference and the sheriff eked out a win by a margin of 169 votes. The tally announced at Board of Elections headquarters—Smith-2343, Borkowski 2174, and DeStefano-347.

Deputy Elections Commissioner Nancy Quis said 221 Republican absentee ballots will be counted next week. Borkowski who spent an hour at the Board of Elections waiting for the results was visibly disappointed when the final tally was announced saying only: “It’s too close to call. I am not conceding anything tonight.”

Wednesday afternoon, elections commissioner Robert Bennett confirmed that a recount would occur in the sheriff’s race, per Borkowski’s request filed at State Supreme Court, Carmel. Bennett told The Courier: “We will also take a look at the machine’s performance since the county is dealing with a new technology this year with the Optical Scan machines. This is not surprising at all since the race was so close. I expected it.”

Quis told The Courier that 400 absentee ballots were mailed out, and that 221 were returned as of Wednesday morning. Those ballots will be counted next Tuesday at 7pm. The Board of Elections will also recanvass the election results this Thursday to confirm the numbers that were called in from the polling stations late Tuesday night.

In Mahopac at the Italian-American Social Club, Smith, his wife, Jane, and son, Christopher, arrived around 11pm to thunderous applause and cheers of some 200 well-wishers who gathered for the victory party.

Smith asked members of his staff to join him at the podium before delivering a 30-minute speech that was interrupted by a congratulatory call from his daughter.

The sheriff apologized for the late hour: “All I can say is ‘thank you!’ Thank you for allowing me to serve as sheriff for the past eight years. I want to thank Patterson and Southeast; Kent, Carmel, Putnam Valley, and Philipstown as well as Cold Spring, Brewster, and Nelsonville.”

The sheriff thanked all the candidates for running this year: “Those of you who have won and others who have the heartbreak of losing. All I ask is that you keep the faith and continue to work for the people of Putnam County.” Smith told the audience that he had faith in the residents of Putnam County because “I never dreamed that a nasty campaign would work. Attacking one’s reputation is not my style nor is it to employ a hired gun.”

Smith said he failed to take the advice of many supporters who urged him to “slug it out. I did take the advice of brothers Tom and Al Lotrecchiano, the salt of the earth in Putnam County, who told me ‘don’t do it; be yourself and you will win.’ They didn’t tell me how close it would be,” as the audience erupted into laughter and applause.

The sheriff also recalled the words of his late mother, Marge Smith: “Mom told me never wrestle with a pig because you get dirty and the pig loves it!”

Allegations that the sheriff made derogatory robo-calls in the final days of the campaign were emphatically disputed by Smith.

The sheriff admitted he made one robo-call in Putnam Valley at the request of Putnam Valley GOP leaders urging Republicans to get out and vote. However, when questioned about alleged calls that personally attacked his opponent, the sheriff said: “In the dirtiest primary campaign in Putnam history, I have run a clean, direct campaign addressing the crime rate, the bringing together of law enforcement, establishing an Emergency Response Team and what my administration has accomplished to make Putnam County a better and safer place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The sheriff reiterated that he had run “one of the cleanest campaigns in our history in the midst of one of the nastiest campaigns.”

A Borkowski supporter at the Board of Elections blamed the former judge’s loss to the fact that DeStefano’s name was on the ballot.

On the eve of the election, State Supreme Court Justice Alan Scheinkman rejected a motion by Borkowski to remove the name of DeStefano, who withdrew from the race a week ago, from the ballot.

DeStefano pulled out of the race for what he described as a “major family emergency.” Attempts to reach the former candidate were unsuccessful however, Putnam Elections Commissioners Robert Bennett and Anthony Scannapieco said DeStefano was under investigation for alleged campaign improprieties. Neither man said he could elaborate.

Borkowski wanted Republicans to be able to choose between himself and the sheriff, and charged the third name would confuse voters.

The judge rejected the motion citing a New York State election law that indicates “any time a vacancy occurs within seven days before a primary, that vacancy shall not be filled and the candidate’s name shall remain on the ballot with any and all votes received counted.”

Commissioners Bennett and Scannapieco objected to the motion since they charged it would take days to make changes to voting machines resulting in a $17,000 cost to Putnam taxpayers.

After the judge ruled, Borkowski told the Courier he brought forth the proceeding because “Mr. DeStefano is no longer a candidate. I wanted the voters to know that a two-man race existed for sheriff—nothing more and nothing less.”

Sheriff Smith admitted being surprised by his opponent’s actions: “Candidates do strange things in an attempt to win an election but my philosophy has always been: ‘Go to the people. Let the people decide. If there are two, three, four, or five people in the race— that’s doesn’t matter. I want the people of Putnam County to be the judge and jury’”.

Attempts to reach Kevin McConville, the Democratic challenger in the race were unsuccessful as messages left at the candidate’s home were not returned.