GOP Backs Borkowski for 99th District Assembly Seat

James Borkowski beams af ter winning the GOP endorsement for the 99th District Assembly seat. Eric Gross Former Southeast Town Judge James Borkowski has won the GOP nomination for the 99th District Assembly seat being vacated by Greg Ball. His victory comes just a week after ending his State Senate bid to enter to the Assembly race.

In agonizingly slow election tabulation at Mahopac Fire Department headquarters Monday night, resulting from the Westchester County Republican Committee’s demand that a weighted voting system be incorporated, Borkowski received 5,801 votes to Putnam Legislator Mary Ellen Odell’s 4,990 votes.

Two Yorktown residents—Dr. Steven Katz and Nick Bianco—came in a distant third and fourth. Katz received 137 votes while Bianco, who withdrew from the race to throw his support behind Odell, tallied 51 votes. Katz has said he will challenge Borkowski in a primary.

Last month Borkowski, who narrowly lost a Republican primary to Sheriff Donald Smith last fall, announced his intention to run for the state senate seat being vacated by Senator Vincent Leibell. But weeks after Somers Town Superivisor Mary Beth Murphy announced her surprise candidacy for the same seat, Borkowski decided to seek the Assembly seat instead. Many had thought Murphy would seek the Assembly seat.

After the tally was announced late Monday evening Borkowski told the Courier: “I was taught when you get knocked down seven times, you get up eight times. To be successful in life you must never, ever, ever quit. Tonight is testament to that. Despite deals being cut among my adversaries, I still had overwhelming support from the committee. I now look towards a strong run in November.”

Odell shook her opponent’s hand, congratulated him, and wished Borkowski well.

“I took the high road and congratulate Mr. Borkoswki and the Republican party for its decision,” she said.

Odell said she would not primary Borkowski in September but will “pursue my legislative race as I always intended.”

Odell is facing a challenge from Carl Albano, a local businessman and son of the late wrestling legend Capt. Lou Albano, for the 5th District legislative seat.

Borkowski, the legislative counsel to former Assemblyman Willis Stephens who served as town justice in the greater Brewster area for more than a decade, said he had a “lot of respect for Mary Ellen. I wish her well in the future.”

The 99th Assembly District encompasses the towns of Carmel, Southeast, and Patterson as well as Pawling, North Salem, Somers and Yorktown.

Katz said in a statement that he will stay in the race. “The party machine in Albany has made it hard for honest hard working citizens to serve this state in elected positions because it makes back room deals and corrupts the process,” said the Mohegan Lake veterinarian and “tea party” candidate. “We the people will not be shut out anymore. September 14 will be the convention for us, not the staged one that took place last Monday,” Katz added.

While 150 delegates attended the nominating session, many with proxies in hand, the evening dragged on and on and on due to the weighted voting system.

Putnam’s GOP Chairman Anthony Scannapieco called the system archaic: “Questions started with the Nan Hayworth campaign that weighted voting was necessary. Election lawyers from both Putnam and Westchester checked into the law. It was determined if a convention was held weighted voting was necessary. Our nominating session is not a convention but a designation by the GOP committee. Candidates must still circulate nominating petitions. Westchester uses weighted voting during all its nominating conventions and caucuses. Putnam does not, but since the district crosses county lines, this laborious process was used.”

Scannapieco called Putnam County a “front runner” in the state when it comes to election issues: “On Tuesday, Putnam was the only county in New York State to conduct school votes on new voting machines. We were one of 18 counties in New York last November to implement the new machines in the general election. Putnam County is in the forefront.”

The GOP convention to select a candidate for the 40th District State Senate seat took place on Wednesday at the Mahopac Italian-American Club followed, on May 25 with the GOP convention for the 19th District Congressional race that will be held at the Villa Barone in Mahopac.

County candidates will be endorsed at the county’s fourth GOP convention on May 27 at the Italian-American Club on Buckshollow Road in Mahopac.