The Westchester Brief | 06.22.26: The Primary That Decides Your County

Tomorrow's Democratic primary will settle several Westchester County races outright, yet turnout will be a fraction of the electorate. This episode breaks down what's actually on the June 23 ballot, from State Comptroller and the 17th Congressional District to two County Board of Legislators seats, town supervisor races in Greenburgh and North Castle, and the Larchmont mayor, and explains why a low-turnout primary gives the voters who show up outsized power over a $2.5 billion county budget and your local tax rate.

In This Episode:
(0:00) Why tomorrow's primary is the real election
(1:30) What's on the ballot: Comptroller, NY-17, and the local races
(3:30) What these offices actually control
(4:30) Turnout, your ballot, and how to check it
(5:00) Quick hit: the Rent Guidelines Board's final vote

Sources: New York State Board of Elections (June 23, 2026 primary certification); Westchester County Board of Elections (early voting and polling locations); Black Westchester (2026 primary candidate guide).

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Tomorrow, a few thousand people will quietly decide who runs your county. Not November. Tomorrow. It is a primary almost no one is watching. And in a county like this one, the people who show up are the people who pick the winners. This is the Westchester Brief. I'm Jim. Let's get into it. Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23rd, is primary day in Westchester County. Polls are open from 6 in the morning until 9 at night. Early voting already ran from June 13th through the 21st. Here is why a primary matters more than most people think. In much of Westchester, one party's line decides the seat. That means the real contest for many local offices is not the November general election. It is tomorrow. Whoever wins these races is, in many cases, the person who takes office. So look at what is actually on the ballot. At the top, the race for state controller, the official who manages the state pension fund and audits how public money is spent. The longtime incumbent, Thomas DiNapoli, faces two challengers, Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle. There's also a crowded race for Congress in the 17th District, one of the most closely watched swing seats in the country. Five Democrats are competing. John Capello, Kate Conley, Beth Davidson, Effie Phillips Stelley, and Mike Sachs. Whoever emerges will help decide control of the House and will vote on the issues that hit Westchester hardest, from the state and local tax deduction to federal housing money. Closer to home, there are primaries for the state assembly in the 90th District, for two seats on the County Board of Legislators and for Town Supervisor in both Greenburg and North Castle. The village of Larchman is choosing a mayor. These are the offices that set your county and town budgets, approve new development, and decide your local tax rate. The County Board of Legislators alone oversees a county budget of roughly two and a half billion dollars. Town supervisors run budgets in the hundreds of millions. These are not small jobs. And tomorrow, in a low turnout primary, a small number of voters will fill them. That is the pattern worth understanding. Low turnout rewards the organized and the committed. The fewer people who vote, the more each vote counts. If you are registered in a party with a contested race, your ballot tomorrow carries real weight. Here is what else is happening across Westchester this week. Tonight, the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board holds its final vote of the season at White Plains City Hall. The board sets the allowable rent increase for every rent stabilized apartment in the county for leases that begin this October. Last year, it approved 2% for one-year leases and three percent for two-year leases. That is your brief for today. If you want the reporting behind the county's biggest decisions delivered straight to you, subscribe to our newsletter at ILiveHereWestchester.com. I'm Jim and I live here. I'll see you tomorrow.