11-08-2022 4:31am

It’s Election Day in North Salem. Here’s who (and what) is on the ballot.

Sarah Gayden Editor

It’s Election Day across the country and here in our area, there are a lot of races up and down the ballot in this year’s midterm election. If you live in North Salem, you can expect to vote on 10 races, including a bond act. Read on to find out who’s running in which race, and what their priorities are.

United States Senate

Republican Joe Pinion is running against incumbent Democrat and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer has served in the Senate since 1998 and was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1974. Pinion has a background in healthcare, media and renewable energy. He was most recently the host of his own show “Saturday Agenda” on Newsmax.

Top priorities if elected:

Pinion:

Crime
The economy

Schumer:

Income inequality
The climate crisis
Restoring integrity to our democracy

New York Governor

Republican Lee Zeldin is running against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul. Hochul, New York’s first female governor, was elected to statewide office in 2014 and became Lieutenant Governor in 2018. Zeldin spent four years on active duty with the U.S. Army and became New York’s youngest attorney at age 23.

Top 3 priorities if elected:

Zeldin:

Public safety
Cost of living
Education

Hochul:

Public safety
Affordability
Economy

Supreme Court Justice - 9th Judicial District

Justices from the 9th District represent Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, serving a 14-year term. There are 14 candidates on the ballot for seven open positions. Click here to learn more about each of the candidates.

County Court Judge

Democrat Maurice Williams is running unopposed in the County Court Judge race, which elects to a 10-year term. County Court Judges have jurisdiction over civil cases up to $10,000 and all felony cases.

New York State Attorney General

Republican Michael Henry is running against incumbent Democrat Letitia James. Henry owns his own law firm with a focus on commercial litigation. He previously worked as a manager in the mortgage industry. James became the state AG four years ago. Her department has a pending civil action against former President Doanld Trump, sued opioid manufacturers, and attempted to dissolve the National Rifle Association.

Top 3 priorities:

Henry:

Crime
Corruption
Cost of living

James:

Hold power accountable
Stand up for the vulnerable
Make New York a more fair and just place for everyone

Comptroller

Republican Paul Rodriguez is running against incumbent Democrat Thomas DiNapoli. DiNapoli has served as comptroller since 2007. Rodriguez worked on Wall Street for over 25 years.

New York Congressional District 17

Republican Michael Lawler is running against incumbent Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney. Maloney has represented the Hudson Valley in Congress for the past 10 years and previously served in the Clinton White House. Lawler is a current New York State Assemblyman and partner of Checkmate Strategies, a strategic communications firm.

Top priorities:

Lawler:

Inflation
Crime

Maloney:

Green New Deal
Women’s Health Protection Act
Higher wages

New York Senate District 40

Republican Gina Arena is running against incumbent Democrat Pete Harckham. Harckham was first elected to the New York State Senate in 2018, and was re-elected in 2020. Arena has worked as an administrative assistant at Westchester County Laboratories for 15 years. She was a former candidate for the Westchester County Legislature.

Top 3 priorities if elected:

Arena:

Restoring public safety
Making New York more affordable
Combating the drug addiction epidemic

Harckham:

Establishing equity
Women’s rights
Mental health & substance use disorders

New York Assembly District 93

Republican Gary Lipson is running against incumbent Democrat Chris Burdick. Burdick joined the Assembly in 2021 after serving as Bedford Town Supervisor for seven years. He chairs the Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities. Lipson is a patent attorney and has worked in the business world for the past 30 years.

Top 3 priorities if elected:

Burdick:

Passage of equal rights amendment
Improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities
Fixing roads and cleaning up our water systems

Lipson:

Crime
Inflation
Education

Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act

Vote411, a nonprofit devoted to election-related information, says the purpose of this proposal is to “authorize the creation of state debt and the sale of state bonds in the amount of up to four billion two hundred million dollars ($4,200,000,000) for certain capital projects for the purpose of making environmental improvements that preserve, enhance, and restore New York’s natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change.”