By Barrett Seaman–
Peter Chatzky of Briarcliff Manor, where he has served as both Mayor and Deputy Mayor, has suspended his campaign for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent 17thDistrict Congressman Mike Lawler. In a statement posted on his social media sites, Chatzky blamed “party bosses” for placing “their heavy weight on the scale of this election” as the cause of his decision to bow out. His statement did not mention or even allude to reports, starting in the New York Times, that for the last decade he had posted “jokey” remarks of a distinctly sexual nature, including musings about having sex with Melania Trump, on his personal Facebook page. For details, see: https://thehudsonindependent.com/congressional-candidate-peter-chatzky-says-revelation-of-bawdy-facebook-posts-wont-drive-him-from-race/.
In a field now down to six from nine original contenders, Chatzky most recently held third place in polls behind Beth Davidson and Cait Conley but ahead of Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, former TV journalist Mike Sacks and Air Force veteran John Cappello. A contribution in December of $5 million of his own money, earned as founder of a fintech consulting firm, had raised his prospects. That was before reports of his Facebook posts surfaced. At that time, he vowed that the damaging posts would not drive him from the race, but most local political observers were skeptical he would survive for long.
Chatzky’s decision came only a few hours before he was to participate in a four-candidate debate at Manhattanville University in Purchase. The debate is sponsored by the Westchester County Democratic Party, which used three criteria to determine which of the remaining six candidates would be onstage for the debate: their standing in polls and surveys, the amount of money their campaigns have raised and the number and quality of endorsements. By these measures, the party leadership determined that neither Sacks nor Cappello qualified, though they have garnered a sufficient number of signatures to be on the official June 23rd primary ballot.
“Tonight, another debate will be held that demines voters the opportunity to hear from all the candidates,” Chatzky posted Thursday afternoon. “Were I to continue my campaign, the party establishment and my competitors would need to spend significant effort and money to defeat me, resources that would be better used to defeat Mike Lawler.”
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