Village of Mamaroneck incumbent Trustee Leon Potok and newly elected trustees Keith Waitt and Victor Tafur came out victorious in what turned out to be an indisputable election with political control of the village at stake.
The scene at Bar’Lees Wine & Whisky Bar on Mamaroneck Avenue, which served as the headquarters for the Democratic candidates, was animated and festive as the polls closed and the final ballots were cast. Shortly after 9 p.m. on Nov. 8, volunteers and supporters of the Democratic candidates gathered around a television depicting the results, which were presented on a digital spreadsheet.
“I’m super nervous right now,” whispered one supporter as Tafur and Waitt huddled around the television screen.
Despite the nerve-wracking atmosphere, momentum shifted completely in favor of the Democrats after results poured in from several village districts. By around 9:30 p.m., the Democratic candidates and their supporters had declared victory.
According to unofficial results from the Westchester County Board of Elections, as of press time, Tafur, with 3,710 votes, Waitt, with 3,560, and Potok, with 3,550, handily defeated their Republican counterparts; Joerne Malte Stoeckhert captured 2,758 votes, Maria Derose scored 2,995, and Dennis Cucinella picked up 3,000.
“Our campaign was steady and clear, and I think it fits the moment in this difficulty,” Tafur told the Review after his victory speech. “I’m humbled and hope my words and intensions are well-received. We purposefully focused on keeping a positive campaign; it wasn’t a risky move, but you take your chances on doing that and it definitely helped.”
The campaign was hard-fought, with candidates taking the offensive to call out the divisiveness of the current village board. However, there is no doubt that the results depended heavily on voter turnout, according to Waitt.
“We always knew that the village’s majority was Democratic,” Waitt told the Review. “We thought, if we could get the voters out, we should have a good chance to win. We now know that the village came out with [one of] the highest turnouts in many decades, and that played out well for us.”
Amid the celebration, it seemed that residents shared the views the Democratic candidates trumpeted throughout the campaign: sensible development, environmental sustainability and community involvement.
“We have a lot of hard work ahead of us in implementing those policies and visions that we talked about throughout our campaign,” Potok told the Review. “Voters didn’t get distracted by the issues that have been thrown out there, and now we will approach the divisions within the community.”
Republicans stationed at the Elks Lodge on Boston Post Road took on a different tone. Amidst a dejected crowd, Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, offered his concession and words of encouragement.
“We certainly accept the decision of the voters in the village of Mamaroneck,” he said. “Regardless of the outcome, I will continue to be the chief cheerleader for the village along with [Trustee] Louis Santoro.”
In the end, Republicans never gained the momentum that the party had hoped for as their ticket never seemed to outline an official platform of its own. And as a result, Democrats will once again hold onto the village board majority for another two years, something Republicans have been unable to wrestle control of since 2009.
