Democrat Ken Jenkins. left, and Republican Christine Sculti, right are vying to serve as Westchester County Executive.
By JEFF MORRIS
A special election is coming up that could slip under your radar, if you’re not careful.
The contest between Democrat Ken Jenkins and Republican Christine Sculti will determine who serves as Westchester County executive for the rest of this year, completing the unfinished term of George Latimer, who was elected to the House of Representatives.
Another election will be held in November for a full four-year term as county executive.
Early voting in the special election begins Saturday, Feb. 1, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 9, at the same early voting locations used in the last election.
The Special Election Day will be Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., at regular assigned polling places.
The Westchester County Board of Legislators voted unanimously Jan. 6 to appoint Jenkins, who had been deputy county executive under Latimer, to fill the county executive position until a special election is held.
The Westchester County Democratic Committee then nominated Jenkins to run as the Democratic candidate, and the Westchester Republican County Committee nominated Sculti as the Republican candidate.
Upon being appointed to the post, Jenkins said he was “deeply honored to have been voted in as county executive by the Westchester County Board of Legislators.”
He referenced his experience serving as deputy county executive since 2018, saying, “I have seen firsthand what it takes to lead this county with integrity and vision.”
Jenkins vowed to ensure the county remains on solid fiscal footing, while maintaining vital services and keeping taxes low. “Together, we will continue to move Westchester forward, prioritizing the needs of our community and building a brighter future for all,” he said.
On his campaign website, Jenkins highlights his more than two decades of public service and experience going back to his time on the Board of Legislators, where he spent four years as chairman, and his “deep understanding of local government.”
He includes among his priorities controlling property taxes and boosting affordable housing and child care; continuing to reduce Westchester’s carbon footprint; defending reproductive rights and opposing efforts to block women’s health care; boosting access to and enhancing quality of reliable public transportation; building stronger police-community relations; and continuing to address the opioid crisis.
Jenkins previously had a career in telecommunications, and was an owner and broker in real estate. He also serves on the boards of the Greyston Foundation, United Way, Westchester County District Attorney’s Community Advisory Committee, Westchester County Crime Stoppers, and the Community Planning Council of Yonkers. He was president of the Yonkers branch of the NAACP and the Yonkers Community Action Program.
Sculti does not have a campaign website, but immediately took aim at Jenkins in a press release, saying that her focus will be on “repealing Jenkins’ controversial Sanctuary Law.” She said the law “sets free these violent criminals to commit even more crimes in our neighborhoods.” Sculti also said she is committed to reigning in “out-of-control” county spending, cutting the “confiscatory” sales tax, and establishing an Office of Parental Rights in order to ensure Westchester parents maintain oversight of the health and well-being of their children.
“I will fight to stop the dangerous, woke ideologies that push life-altering drugs and surgeries on children and that allow men to compete in girls’ sports and enter girls’ private spaces like locker rooms,” she said.
In social media postings, Sculti added she would oppose congestion pricing and cut taxes. She alleged that Democrats had deliberately scheduled the special election for “the dead of winter” when they could have waited for early spring.
Sculti was chief advisor to former County Executive Rob Astorino, and notes she is the first woman to run for Westchester’s highest office. She is currently executive assistant to the commissioner of the Westchester County Board of Elections, and has also served as chair and chief executive officer of the Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission, as assistant to the mayor of Yonkers, and in economic development for New York state as Mid-Hudson regional director. She also worked as vice president of a family-owned business and was a corporate business development manager for an international business.
The closest early voting sites are the Pound Ridge Town House, the Somers Town House, and the Mount Kisco Public Library. A complete list of early voting sites and hours may be found at citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/early-voting-2025.
The Westchester County League of Women Voters announced it is attempting to put together a candidate forum. If that should happen, information will be posted on its website, LWVNEW.org/elections-voting, and LWVNEW on Facebook.