Indecisive Dems A Factor In 40th State Senate District Primary

Two candidates sought the Democratic Party line on November's ballot in the election for the 40th District state Senate Seat. Peter Harckham defeated Robert Kesten in the primary Thursday.

In all, 22,660 Democrats turned out to vote; 49 percent of them voted for Harckham and 42 percent for Kesten. Eight percent left that line blank, according to unofficial results from the New York State Board of Elections.

Kesten narrowly won Dutchess County, but Harckham won both Putnam and Westchester. Of the 1,921 Democrats who couldn't decide, most were in Westchester of course, but the highest rate of indecisiveness was in Putnam County — 13.6 percent.

Totals:

• Harckham - 11,116
• Kesten - 9,579
• Blank - 1,921
• Void - 8
• Write-in - 36

Harckham will challenge incumbent Terrence Murphy in the general election.

The 40th State Senate District is comprised of parts of Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, including Beekman and Pawling in Dutchess; Brewster, Carmel, Patterson and Southeast in Putnam; and Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Sleepy Hollow, Somers and Yorktown in Westchester.

It has been most recently represented by conservative Republicans. Greg Ball held the seat before Murphy, who first won the seat in 2014.

Harckham issued a statement:

I am honored to have earned the support of Democratic voters with an overwhelming turnout and look forward to making the case against Trump-enabling Terrance Murphy and the do nothing Republican Senate majority.

I congratulate my friend Robert Kesten for running a terrific race and giving voice to people who are passionate Democrats but feel our party has lost its way and that its leaders are unresponsive. I thank them for their passion and I ask them to join with us and to hold me accountable.

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. 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.

Murphy's campaign spokeswoman Martha Ruiz Jiménez also issued a statement Thursday night:

"After an underwhleming primary Senator Murphy is looking forward to putting his stellar record up against an opponet who spent nearly every nickle to survive Thursday's primary, who's last known job was Governor Cuomo's bagman. If the future of New York State wasn't at stake it would be laughable. Senator Murphy has been a statewide leader against the heroin epidemic, delivered record state aid to our local schools and protected the Hudson Valley's environment. We know what matters to voters and that will be reflected in November."