Sound Shore

MAMARONECK — A campaign ethics committee on Saturday upheld one complaint and dismissed another by Democrats alleging that their GOP rivals in the race for village Board of Trustees used unfair campaign tactics.

In the first case, the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee found that Republicans “used” the committee as a “political tool” by filing a complaint against Democrats just days before the Nov. 2 election and then circulating an “inflammatory flyer” that misquoted the body’s finding.

“While the entire finding was produced on one side of the flyer, the reverse cherry-picked words from the finding and added the words ‘They lied,’ which were not part of the finding,” the committee wrote.

In the second case, the committee found no unfair tactics in a separate GOP mailer stating that Democrats “have no record of accomplishments” and “offer only more spending, more taxes and more partisan politics,” among other accusations. This language, the committee said, while vague, was still part of “normal campaign discourse.”

The decision comes as both parties await final word from The Board of Elections on who officially won the six-way race. Election officials have yet to finish counting absentee and affidavit ballots cast Nov. 2.

Bob Cohen, a 55-year old real estate professional from Scarsdale, was officially nominated last night as the Republican candidate for state Senate in the 37th District. He will face incumbent Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck, in November.

 “While I am out there talking to our neighbors, and yes even Democrats, they all seem to be saying the same things.  Taxes are too high, businesses and jobs are being chased out of New York, Albany is dysfunctional, and that it is time we make changes, its time we get some new people in elected office,” Cohen said in a statement. “It’s time to do something about the mess, the embarrassment of our dysfunctional state government. And my experience as a self-made businessman, as a community activist and concerned citizen, as a father have put me in a position to do something about the problems that we all know exist in our state.”
 
According to his campaign bio, Cohen, who is also an attorney, runs a real estate and construction company in Manhattan. He has been a volunteer firefighter in Scarsdale for 17 years and is a member of the non-partisan Town and Village Civic Club Education Forum.

The 37th Senate District is comprised of Harrison, Mamaroneck, New Castle, most of New Rochelle, North Castle, Ossining, Rye Town, Rye City, Scarsdale, and White Plains.

Westchester County Legislator James Maisano, R-New-Rochelle, will become the minority leader of the Board of Legislators in the new year, the GOP caucus announced this week.

Maisano, a lawyer, represents about half of New Rochelle and all of Pelham. He’ll begin his seventh two year term on the board on Friday.

“The Republican caucus is committed to reforming county government by promoting initiatives to reduce spending, lower taxes and consolidate operations, “ he said in a statement. “We look forward to working in a bipartisan way to improve the quality of life in Westchester.”

There are four GOP members on the 17-member board. Maisano takes over from George Oros, who is becoming Chief of Staff to new county executive Rob Astorino.