Vote Shelley Mayer in the Special Election on April 24th

To the Editor:

I write in support of Shelley Mayer for State Senator.

Shelley Mayer has the experience, integrity and positions that are in line with Bronxville values and voters. I know Shelley from my 2017 campaign for County Legislator in District 15 (Northern Yonkers and Bronxville), in which Shelley strongly supported me. I also know her as an experienced legislator and unfailing champion of her district, and she goes to Albany every year with the needs of her constituents first on her agenda.

We have all been barraged by glossy flyers, TV and and many unattributed robocalls as the spending ratchets up in this State Senate race. Millions of outside dollars are coming into this race. Voters should prepare for even more innuendo and outright falsehoods in the next five days. We’ve seen these tactics before, at both the national and local level.

New York state taxpayers are in a terrible position due to the recent national tax plan, proposed, promoted and passed by Republicans who view New York State as their national piggy bank. What makes us different from deep red states? High taxes yes, but also decades of investment in public weath, including schools, parks, hospitals, infrastructure and environmental protections. Next time you visit one of Westchester’s beautiful parks, or drink our clean and protected water, imagine unregulated pollution despoiling our area. Our schools are among the jewels of this nation. This accumulated public wealth--in New York specifically--is set to be drained by politicians looking only to pay back their billionaire donors. With their terrible and deeply unpopular positions on gun safety, immigration, public lands, women’s rights and our collective rights to clean water and clean air, the national Republicans have led us where we as New Yorkers do not want to go.

As the last elections in Bronxville show, Bronxville voters are increasingly voting blue. Natasha Nordahl, a recent candidate for Village Justice, fell short by only 40 votes; in my race for County Legislator, I captured the Bronxville vote nearly 60-40%. Bronxville residents are 31% registered Democrats, 37% registered Republicans and 25% registered Unaffiliateds. As I have campaigned over the last year, this is news to many voters. Even registered Republicans are dismayed by their national party and many see the need for a strong push back.

I urge my neighbors to vote for Shelley, a legislator who will vote our values. The smear campaign being waged by her Republican opponent can’t fool an educated electorate. We need a smart, hardworking representative in the State Senate whose votes are in line with what we want in our state government.

Ruth Walter

Bronxville, NY