Justice Nicholas Colabella tossed out a challenge to the Conservative endorsement in June of Castro-Blanco. Colabella also ruled against a bid to overturn Conservative Party endorsements given to other candidates, including County Executive Andrew Spano and District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

It was the second ballot victory in four days for Castro-Blanco. On Friday, Lesnick agreed to drop plans to run in an Independence Party primary against Castro-Blanco, who previously had challenged the validity of the Democrat’s petitions to get on the primary ballot.

Read more tomorrow in The Journal News and LoHud.com

Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano will carry the Conservative Party line in next month’s primaries, a state judge ruled today.

In two separate rulings, state Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Colabella dismissed claims in lawsuits by Conservative Party members who said Spano and District Attorney Janet DiFiore, both Democrats, improperly got the party’s endorsement in June.

Colabella said, in part, that more than 3,000 proxy votes cast by Conservative Party Chairwoman Gail Burns to back Spano and DiFiore were properly used.

“The foregoing demonstrates that petitioners had an opportunity to review the proxies and to object at the meeting, but did not do so and, in fact, participated in and ratified the use of the proxies at the meeting,” Colabella wrote.

Read more tomorrow in The Journal News and on LoHud.com.

The luncheon features Mo Vaughn, the slugging first baseman and 1995 American League MVP, who played nine years for the locally hated Boston Red Sox, though Lesnick might prefer perspective donors to focus on the two years Vaughn played for the more palatable Mets.

Since leaving baseball Vaughn has worked to build and rehabilitate affordable housing, through Omni New York LLC, of which he is managing director. The company’s projects include the renovation of the Whitney Young Manor apartment complex at 358 Nepperhan Ave. in Yonkers. The luncheon is from 12:30 to 2 p.m. More information is available by contacting Kim DiTomasso at 917-991-8276 or kditto31@yahoo.com.

Lesnick’s big money lead can be attributed in part to his incumbency; He started the year with $29,386 in his campaign fund, while first-time candidate Castro-Blanco had nothing. Look for more financial details from this year’s political campaigns here at Politics on the Hudson and in The Journal News

Wednesday is the deadline for candidates for office in New York state to file their latest campaign contribution disclosure forms, documents which list who is contributing to each candidate, some of whom just might be interested in influencing those candidates.

Here’s the link to check on candidates in your favorite race: www.elections.state.ny.us/CFU.html

Schorr looks for campaign money tonight in Washington, D.C., with an event at Lounge 201, a tavern that bills itself as “Cool. Comfortable. Close by,” which is true if you’re at a Senate office building or Union Station. By the way, 201 Lounge offers a seemingly Soviet-inspired drink called “Hammer & Sickle” for $7.00 on Thursday nights.

Then on July 22, Schorr is in Yonkers at a fundraiser with Republican guest speakers, state Sen. Dean Skelos and Mayor Phil Amicone. That event is at La Lanterna Ristorante and Caffe, which describes itself as “Yonkers best kept-secret” with “cutting-edge desserts.” It’s down-home Yonkers, with a website that serenades you with Dean Martin singing “That’s Amore.”

Back in January, Amicone issued a $645 million wish list put together by city and school officials. Among the funding requests is $45 million to fund the downtown baseball stadium that is part of Struver Fidelco Cappelli’s River Park Center plan. The total construction-funding wish list comprises $321 million in city
projects and $324 million in school projects.

Among those Amicone will be meeting with are Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims; Reps. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, and Eliot Engel, D-Bronx; and former upstate Congressman Republican Bill Paxon, who served as a senior advisor for Rudolph Giuliani’s bid for the GOP Presidential nomination last year.

The fourth district has elected Republican candidates for many years, but GOP dominance may lessening. Facing the winner of a Republican primary would be Democrat Mario DeGiorgio, who was selected at a convention earlier this spring. DeGiorgio ran a strong but ultimately losing campaign against incumbent Councilman Liam McLaughlin in 2005. McLaughlin cannot run for re-election because of term limits.

Read the full story Monday in The Journal News and on LoHud.com

All told the WFP endorsed 118 candidates in Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Spokesman Dan Levitan said the party’s priorities for that area include Patricia O’Dwyer for Orange County Executive; Glenn Kroll for Sullivan County DA; and three town supervisor challengers - Daniel French in Beekman, Robert Hill in Pawling, and Nadia Rajsz in Lumberland.

Endorsements for candidates in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties are likely to come next week, Levitan said.

McLaughlin, who is in his 10th year as a councilman from the Yonkers 4th District, said Wednesday that he had reversed his plan for a primary battle against Castro-Blanco, who had picked up Republican committee support at a GOP convention last week.

McLaughlin’s withdrawal sets up a battle for the council president’s post between challenger Castro-Blanco and the incumbent Chuck Lesnick.

In an interview today, Castro-Blanco criticized Lesnick for what he said were delays in city council approval of two major developments, Ridge Hill and the $1.6 billion downtown redevelopment plan by Streuver Fidelco Cappelli. If 1 1/2 years could have been shaved off Ridge Hill’s five-year approval process, the development could have been producing revenue in the coming budget year, Castro-Blanco said.

Lesnick said that Castro-Blanco was wrong in criticizing him for Ridge Hill, pointing out that he took over as city council president at the beginning of 2006, near the end of that plan’s review. That development won a crucial zone change in July 2006. Lesnick said the council’s continuing review of SFC development has enabled that project to avoid lawsuits that could have set back the plan further.

Castro-Blanco also criticized Lesnick for the council’s failure to approve the city budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The spending plan was supposed to be approved by June 1, according to the City Charter. Lesnick said the council had sought to work with the mayor in making changes in the budget, but that it was now prepared to make the changes on its own.

McLaughlin said remaining in the race to November would require more of a commitment of time and effort than he had anticipated. McLaughlin cited his law practice and family responsibilities as factors.
In the city’s second council district, Virginia Perez and Jose Roman plan to challenge Wilson Terrero, who won Democratic committee backing at convention in late April, a party primary in September, according to the city’s Democratic chair Ken Jenkins.

In the city’s fourth council district, three Republicans plan to challenge last week’s GOP convention choice of Dennis Shepherd, Running against him are Gerri Esposito, John Rubbo, and Ronald Volino.
Read more on this tomorrow in The Journal News and LoHud.com.

McLaughlin said he’s dropping out because he recently realized a primary campaign and the November election – if he made it to that point – would require more time than he was prepared to commit. “I don’t know that it’s an uphill battle, but it certainly is a time consuming battle,” said McLaughlin, who’s second and final term as council member from the city’s 4th district ends Jan. 1.

The council’s Republican minority leader said party leadership had encouraged him to drop out of the race before the convention, but that he had not spoken to any of them since then. And he said he had not been offered party support for other political office if had dropped out of the race.

McLaughlin’s decision leaves Castro-Blanco as the GOP nominee to take on Democratic incumbent Chuck Lesnick.

Later, McLaughlin said he would challenge Castro-Blanco for the nomination in a September primary contest. McLaughlin blamed his defeat on Mayor Phil Amicone, whom he said “was personally calling district leaders” to support Castro-Blanco.  Although Amicone had said he was not supporting either candidate, the mayor appeared at Castro-Blanco’s inital fund-raising event and spoke favorably about him.  

Also decided tonight: 

*In the 4th District, Dennis Shepherd defeated John Rubbo, Gerri Esposito and Ronald Volino. The seat is now filled by McLaughlin who canot run for a third term because of term-limits.

*In the 6th District, John Larkin defeated Anthony Merante.
The Republican nominee in the council president’s race will face Democratic incumbent Chuck Lesnick. The Democrats filled out their
ticket in late April, picking Wilson Terrero in the 2nd District, where
there is no Republican opponent; Mario DeGeorgio in the 4th; and Ted
Winnicki in the 6th. Though a Democrat, Terrero supported Amicone for mayor
two years ago.

Look for full coverage tomorrow in The Journal News and LoHud.com.

The convention also chose three City Council candidates: Wilson Terrero in the 2nd District over Virginia Perez and Carlos Orellana; Ted Winnicki in the 6th District over Steve Illarnardo; and Mario DeGeorgio, who faced no opponent in the 4th District.

The Republicans are not expected to narrow their field of candidates until a convention on Mary 27. Councilman Liam McLaughlin, R-4th District, is battling Jim Castro-Blanco for the GOP nomination for City Council President; Dennis Shepherd, Gerri Esposito and Ronald Volino are competing in the 4th District; and Anthony Merante and John Larkin are competing in the 6th District.

Minority Leader Liam McLaughlin: “It was nothing that wasn’t expected. We’ve been seeing the financial forecasts. The writings on the wall. No surprises there.”

Asked about the hopeful side of the mayor’s speech: that the city will emerge from its current difficulties stronger than before, McLaughlin was not enthusiastic. 

“We like to keep a postiive tone, but it’s very difficult,” said McLaughlin, R-4th District.

Councilwoman Dee Barbato R-6th District said the mayor’s focus on development, particularly the massive Streuver Fidelco Cappelli project was not going to help the city with the next budget. She acknowledged the project would help future budgets, which was Amicone’s point.

“If there’s not dialogue between everybody involved in this, if there’s not information sharing, we are not going to get through this in the long run,” said Barbato. The councilwoman has not been pleased with with Amicone’s decison to back Jim Castro-Blanco for the Republican nomination for City Council President, a post Barbato was considering.

On the other side of the aisle, Democatic City Councilwoman Patricia McDow sounded more approving.
“I thought it was as up tempo as you could possibly be in these economic times. I agree with the mayor that we do have to move forward with development,.” McDow said.

McDow made it clear she didn’t want to be rushed into the final government agreements needed for the SFC project-  a land disposition agreement, essentially a contract for the city to sell much of the development sites, and a plan to finance the public infrastructure needed for the project though future tax revenue on the site.

“As council members we have a responsibility to the taxpayers,” McDow said. “We have to make sure we have jobs (for Yonkers residents); We have to make sure we have affordable housing; And we have to make sure our local merchants get some of this pie, that they have a oppunities to participate in this process.”

The speech was interrupted by applause 10 times. That’s not many for a speech that went on for 16 pages or nearly 40 minutes. Convention calls for a State of (fill in your favorite government level) address to be packed with so many accomplishments, real or imagined, that an audience interrupts the speaker several times every page. Amicone’s speech produced only one outburst in its first five pages.

That came from a line espousing gritty determination in the face of difficult times. “Every man, woman and child in this city should know that Yonkers has survived tougher times and we will survive and emerge stronger from these tough times as well,” Amicone said.  “We won’t give up on our city of Yonkers.”

Come back a little later. I hope to post some reaction to the speech after I write a fuller account on the address to appear tomorrow in The Journal News and LoHud.com.

Party chair Ken Jenkins downplayed the significance of the no-decision decision, saying the executive committee decided to leave the matter for the committee’s more numerous ward leaders. It was not the first time that the executive committee didn’t back an incumbent, Jenkins said. Back in the early 2000s, the party passed over endorsing Fernando Fuentes in his unsuccessful re-election bid in the Council’s second district, Jenkins said.

The Republicans already have one candidate, James Castro-Blanco, and considering a race is Councilman Liam McLaughlin, whose second and final term expires at the end of this year.

The latter race would pit him against Jim Castro-Blanco, an attorney and first-time candidate, for the Republican nomination. McLaughlin’s dabbling in the Council President’s race follows a decision by fellow Council member Dee Barbato, who is also term limited, not to enter the race.

All of this follows a brief but failed behind the scenes effort in City Hall to do away with term limits.

Not to be outdone, the Democrats have a race brewing for the same seat. Democratic Council President Chuck Lesnick is being challenged by former Councilman Dennis Robertson. More on that contest soon.

Robertson said he would not run a primary against Lesnick if he lost at the party convention, saying he would not have enough campaign money to wage a successful battle against an incumbent without party support.

Robertson said Lesnick is not a strong enough leader on the Council and could prove vulnerable against a challenge by the Republicans. Republican Jim Castro-Blanco announced his attention to seek Republican backing for a City Council President race.

The 48-year-old Robertson is the full-time director of housekeeping at Yonkers Raceway’s Empire City, the video gambling operation run by the state Lottery, and he said he continues to operate an office cleaning consulting business.

Robertson unsucessfully challenged Yonkers Republican Mayor Phil Amicone’s bid for a second term in 2007, a contest that taught him, Robertson said, the importance of healthy campaign coffer.

“If I learned anything in the mayor’s race it was: you need enough money to define yourself for the voters and not let other people define you,” Robertson said.

Republicans: In the 4th District are Justin Tubiolo, Dennis Shepherd and Gerri Esposito; In the 6th District are Anthony Merante, John Larkin and Steve Sansone;  No candidates yet in the 2nd district.
Democrats: In the 2nd District are Wilson Terrero, Virginia Perez and Carlos Orellana; In the 4th District is Mario DiGiorgio; In the 6th District are Steve Illarnardo and Ted Winnicki.

And though Jim Castro-Blanco yesterday announced his intention to be the Republican nominee for the City Council President job now held by Chuck Lesnick, Council member Dee Barbato, who cannot seek re-election under the city’s current term limits, is said to be considering a race for the GOP nomination for City Council President. Lesnick is expected to seek re-election.

Jim Castro-Blanco is seeking the Republican nomination for that post and would likely face Democratic incumbent Chuck Lesnick, who is expected to seek re-election in November. An attorney in the White Plains office of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, Castro-Blanco announced his candidacy with an e-mailed press release today.

Castro-Blanco’s announcement is critical of Lesnick without mentioning his name. He says the city’s “progress has been stalled” under the Council’s current leadership, “opportunities have been squandered, and now people are starting to lose faith in the vision of a great city.” He lives in Northwest Yonkers with his wife Edie and their two children, who attend the PEARLS Hawthorne School.

If he gets the GOP nomination, Castro-Blanco’s announcement says, he would be the first Hispanic candidate for citywide office for either major party. Castro-Blanco’s father is from Colombia. Blanco had worked as an assistant U.S Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, before going to work for Wilson, Elser, a lawfirm with offices across the country and in London.

Lesnick had worked for the law firm Smith, Buss & Jacobs in Yonkers, but left to comply with the city’s ethics codes since the company represents co-ops in the city. He rents space from the firm. Lesnick’s two children had attended the PEARLS Hawthorne School.  The Council President said he’s met Castro-Blanco. “He seems like a decent guy,” Lesnick said, adding that he looks forward to a good campaign once the Republicans have settled on their candidate.

McEneny lived in Yonkers for seven years and is the daughter-in-law of former mayor, John Spencer. She left Yonkers in 2006 to work as communications director for Albany County District Attorney David Soares, where her husband John Spencer Jr. continues to work. She then moved over to work in a similar capacity for Gillibrand, who in 2006 ousted four-term Republican Congressman John Sweeney to represent upstate’s 20th District.

McEneny’s experience with politics didn’t begin by marrying into a political family, though. Her father is state Assemblyman Jack McEneny, whose district covers most of Albany city and county. Unlike the former Yonkers mayor and John Jr., who are Republicans, the McEneny familly is Democratic. McEneny worked for 2 1/2 years in Yonkers Community Development Office.

Life has gotten busy since McEneny and her boss waited up for a 2 a.m. phone call last week that informed them that Gillibrand had been chosen by Gov. David Paterson to replace Hillary Clinton. Speaking by phone this afternoon, McEneny, said she has two BlackBerries filled with messages, a sign of what happens when an elected official moves from a relatively sleepy Congressional district to sudden national prominence.

Speaking of his daughter-in-law, Spencer said “I’m very proud of her. She’s done good work,” later adding, “There are some Democrats I like.”

As of earlier today, some 200 people had registered for the library event, which is sponsored by City Council President Chuck Lesnick. Since the library, which is located off Larkin Plaza, can accommodate up to 450 people for the event, Lesnick’s office suggests those who want to attend to register by email at yonkersinaugparty@gmail.com. Lesnick, however, won’t be at his own party. He will be watching the inauguration in D.C. The Nepperhan Community Center is located at 342 Warburton Avenue.

“I applaud Gov.Paterson for his leadership on creating an economic recovery and development plan to help us navigate these difficult economic times. We must all work toward the goal of doing more with less. We have begun to take that painful but necessary step in Yonkers.

“Still, there is a green lining in every cloud and I applaud the Governor’s proposed efforts to increase clean energy by having 45 percent of its electricity produced through energy efficient and renewable energy measures by the year 2015. This initiative will not only put more than 50,000 New Yorkers to work but will also provide our children with a cleaner environment in the future. In addition, his plans to provide incentives for companies that go green and clean up polluted sites within an Empire Zone is a great way of promoting business and the environment together.

“Finally, I wholeheartedly support Governor Paterson’s Healthy Food/Healthy Communities initiative which addresses childhood obesity with incentives that encourage healthy foods sold in urban areas. This will not only help individuals lead healthier lives but address our long-term health care cost goals.”

“I am encouraged by the resolve displayed by Governor Paterson today in facing and overcoming the dire financial crisis that now envelops our state and its local governments. The governor realizes as I do that, in order to emerge from this crisis, government must follow the example of New York’s families and do more with less—- an endeavor we have already begun in the city of Yonkers.

“But as we work together to address record budget deficits through spending reductions, we must not allow New York State to forsake its primary responsibilities: providing a sound public education for its children, preserving the public health and supporting local governments that provide direct services to all New Yorkers. Therefore I renew my call to the governor and our representatives in the State Legislature to immediately address the chronic inequities in the state education funding formula as it is applied to Yonkers, a problem that threatens to be made worse by the governor’s recent budget proposal. No matter how big the pot of money, it is incumbent upon New York State to distribute those resources fairly. Solving this problem will help the governor accomplish the goals he laid out today.

“For our part in Yonkers, we promise to continue the transformation of Yonkers Public Schools into a first rate education system and to achieve permanent fiscal solvency through the aggressive expansion of our local economy. We will also support the governor on the progressive agenda he has set for New York especially lowering the oppressive cost of doing business in our state, capping property taxes, relieving state mandates, creating a sustainable energy infrastructure and aiding local governments in becoming more efficient and cost effective. In short, Governor Paterson will find a willing partner in the city of Yonkers, and we expect the same from New York State.”