Video: Lohud.com’s Mark Lungariello interviews Pete Harckham
Former Westchester County Legislator Pete Harckham won a Democratic Party primary Thursday in a battleground New York state Senate District.
Harckham, a Lewisboro resident and former staffer of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration, beat fellow Lewisboro resident Robert Kesten.
“To all voters who are tired of the corruption and partisan gridlock, who feel that both Washington and Albany are not listening, I hear you and I will fight for you,” Harckham, 57, said on Thursday. “I will fight the attack on New York from extremists in Washington and their allies in Albany. I will fight for Hudson Valley values, not Trump values.”
Harckham has supported Kesten and even donated to his campaign before throwing his hat into the ring. He’ll now go on to face two-term incumbent Republican Terrence Murphy of Yorktown.
The seat represents District 40, one of the few districts considered in play in a year where even a one-seat swing can shift which party controls the Senate.
The District 40 seat has been held by a Republican for years, even though active registered Democrats outnumber Republicans there 70,498-59,222, according to state Board of Elections logs. There are also 49,696 active voters not registered to any party who could be in play.
