WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey, July 19, 2007 UPDATED July 20,2007 12:20 P.M. EDT: Thursday was the last day to file petitions for council candidates nominated and otherwise for the Democratic Primary scheduled for September 18, 2007.
The Grand Avenue Board of Elections (former Post Office) to the left will be the scene of frantic last minute filing of petitions today. The Seat of Westchester County, the Michaelian Building is at right.
The five candidates vying for three seats on the White Plains Common Council: Arnold Bernstein, Benjamin Boykin,Jr., Candyce Corcoran, Milagros Lecuona and Dennis Power have to file papers containing signatures of White Plains registered Democrats totaling 5% of the party registration.
Candyce Corcoran has been the hardest working signature collector garnering about 1,300 signatures she reported to WPCNR Friday. Corcoran has also chided fellow candidates for collecting signatures without dates of signature. She has pointed out that this is an irregularity leading to possible chicanery in falsifying petitions. According to reports received at WPCNR other candidates have been scrambling to acquire signatures in the last few days. Corcoran doubled the number of signatures needed for her to qualify for the Democratic Primary, (655) September 18.
Mix and Match
The party-nominated Democratic Council candidates, even should they not garner the appropriate number of signatures will appear on the Working Families party line on the ballot. The Democratic Party Leadership notes in a citywide communication that the Working Families Party is required to file a Wilson Pakula document to run the Democrat-nominated council candidates on their party line. A Working Families Party member could file a petition and challenge them on the Working Families Party line, however the handicapping experts said this is unlikely.
Candyce Corcoran, the Democrat Party primary challenger is assured of a slot on the November ballot on the Conservative Party line.
Mr. Boykin and Mr. Power have been assured a spot on the November Ballot also on the Independence Party line.
Republican Presence
Cass Cibelli, Anthony Pilla and Augostino Zicca, Jr. will be appearing on the Republican line in November. Cibelli will also carry the Independence Party line.
Arnold Bernstein, the incumbent Councilperson who was not renominated by his party to run again, is the only candidate who will not be appearing on the November ballot automatically. He has to finish third in the Primary voting September 18 to assure a November ballot slot and a chance for reelection. Corcoran also has to finish in the top three Democrats to appear on the Democratic Party line. Candidates most ripe for picking off by Bernstein and Corcoran appear to be Mr. Boykin and Ms. Lecuona, since Power’s seizing opposition stances to the Mayor’s policies appear to have gained him considerable support of late.
Bernstein’s Trump
Bernstein has another option though, he can join independents Robert Stackpole and Robert Levine in seeking signatures to appear on the November ballot. That signature-collecting interval began last week. Should Bernstein decide to go for that he and Stackpole and Levine each need to collect 743 signatures of registered voters, according to the Board of Elections. That figure represents 5% of the total votes for Governor on all lines in the 2006 election, and petitions should be filed by the end of August in order to secure a place on the November election ballot
Bernstein,Stackpole and Levine can choose their own party names should they collect the signatures necessary to get on the ballot
The November Election Ballot at this juncture looks like this:
Democrat for Council: Benjamin Boykin Milagros Lecuona, Dennis Power
Republican for Council: Cass Cibelli, Anthony Pilla, Augustino Zicca, Jr.
Working Families Party for Council: Benjamin Boyin, Milagros Lecuona, Dennis Power
Independence Party for Council: Cass Cibelli, Benjamin Boykin, Dennis Power
Conservative Pary for Council: Candyce Corcoran, Cass Cibelli, Augostino Zicca, Jr.
Posibilities for independent candidates on November Ballot:
Arnold Bernstein, Robert Levine, Robert Stackpole
Ms. Corcoran has, at this time, opted not to attempt to get her name on the November ballot, since she already has the Conservative nomination.
Note: In the first edition of this article, the Conservative Endorsements were stated erroneously. Augostino Zicca, Cass Cibelli, and Candyce Corcoran received the Conservative Party nominations. WPCNR thanks Mr. Zicca for the update.
