Conley? Lawler? Don't forget downballot races

By MARTIN WILBUR

There’s little doubt that this fall’s matchup between Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler and his Democratic challenger Cait Conley in the 17th Congressional District is the marquee political race on the ballot.

With control of the House of Representatives on the line on Election Day, both major parties are going all out to win what is seen as one of the key swing districts in the country.

But there are other races for voters to ponder, albeit much lower-profile contests.

There are additional races this year as the state undergoes the multiyear transition to get most county and town elections on an even-year cycle, courtesy of a controversial and legally contested effort by the state’s Democrats to get most local elections into even-numbered years. Therefore, town supervisor and county legislator races, terms that have traditionally held two-year terms became one-year terms for last year’s elections.

State races

There are three local state Legislature races on tap this fall. Democratic state Sens. Shelley Mayer in the 37th District, which takes in part of Bedford, Peter Harckham in the 40th District and Democratic incumbent Assemblymember Chris Burdick all have Republican opposition.

Mayer, running for her fifth full term in the Senate after having served in the Assembly for six years, will face Bronxville small-business owner Thomas Fix. Fix was defeated two years ago by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin in the 88th Assembly District by a nearly 2-1 ratio.

Harckham, a former county legislator, was also swept into the Senate in 2018, and is taking on Yorktown Deputy Supervisor Sergio Esposito. Esposito was first elected to the Yorktown Town Board in 2021 and won reelection last year.

Burdick, who made the leap from the Town of Bedford supervisor’s office when he outlasted several opponents in a 2020 Democratic primary in the 93rd Assembly District, will face Braille Diaz of Mount Kisco on the Republican side in his latest reelection bid. Diaz is no stranger to local politics, having run unsuccessfully two years in a row, first for Mount Kisco Village Board in 2024, before being defeated last year by County Legislator Erika Pierce.

County and local races

Meanwhile, Pierce, who has represented the Board of Legislators’ District 2 since 2022, is facing Jozef Vala.

At the town level, Bedford Supervisor Ellen Calves, who has been elected three times as the town’s chief executive officer is squaring off against a familiar face in former town Republican chair and Town Board member Don Scott. This is the first contested Bedford supervisor’s race since 2021.

Scott is running what he has described as an “uncampaign,” having spent just $13.12 on his bid as of this week, according to his website.

The other contested local race is in Mount Kisco for two village trustee seats. Democratic incumbent Tom Luzio and his running mate, Planning Board Co-chair Michael McGuirk, are up against independent candidates Sean Moran and Jennifer Vallejos who will appear on the MK United line.

A pair of supervisor’s races will feature two unopposed Democratic incumbents — Tony Gonçalves in Lewisboro and Kevin Hansan in Pound Ridge.