Government & Politics

Harckham Declares Victory in 40th State Senate District Race

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November 24, 2020

By Rick Pezzullo—

State Senator Pete Harckham declared victory Tuesday in his re-election bid for a second two-year term representing the 40^th District, which includes the Town of Mount Pleasant and Village of Sleepy Hollow.

Harckham trailed Republican challenger Rob Astorino by more than 8,000 votes on Election night but slowly reduced the deficit after absentee ballots were counted in Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester counties.

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The absentee ballots in the race amounted to about 25% of the entire vote. Although there are still more than 15,000 absentee ballots left to tally in Westchester, the majority of the ballots were submitted by registered Democrats and Harckham is prevailing on the ballots at a 75% clip. As a result, Harckham is on track to win the election by potentially more than 10,000 votes, causing Astorino to concede the race to Harckham Tuesday morning.

“I am humbled and grateful for all of the tremendous support I have received during this campaign and thank all of the voters in Senate District 40 for participating in this historic election,” Harckham said. “The confidence and trust that residents have placed in me once again will continue to guide my intentions. These are challenging times, though, and I look forward to being engaged in the hard work necessary to ensure a better future for all.”

The victory also ensures that the Democrats will hold a supermajority in the State Senate.

“I’m thrilled to welcome my good friend Senator Peter Harckham back to the State Senate,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins stated. “Senator Harckham has worked tirelessly to deliver results to the people of Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam Counties and earned this re-election. I look forward to continuing to partner with Senator Harckham as we tackle the many challenges ahead of us.”

Two years ago, Harckham became the first Democrat to serve the district since 1914 after ousting Republican Terrence Murphy

Astorino was trying to make a political comeback following an eight-year stint as county executive (2010-2017). He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014.

During his first term in the Senate, Harckham served as Chair of the Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, spearheading the passage of eight bills in regard to the opioid crisis. In 2020, Harckham was able to get 31 bills passed. His legislative accomplishments included keeping property taxes low, meeting the needs of municipal governments, ensuring funding for schools, protecting the environment and supporting the workers and community surrounding Indian Point.

“It should be obvious by now that our residents prefer problem-solving over politicking,” said Harckham. “We have the crucial work of governing ahead of us, so let’s finish counting the ballots without any more obstructions and refocus on what’s most important: helping people lead better lives.”

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