State Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer has picked up an endorsement from the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association, NYSPFFA, in her bid for Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s vacant Senate seat.
Mayer, a Democrat, said she was “so proud to receive the [NYSPFFA] endorsement,” announcing the news on Twitter on Jan. 28.
The NYSPFFA represents 18,000 men and women working full time as members of municipal fire departments across the state and advocates for members across 106 local unions, 41 counties and New York City, according to its website.
Earlier this month, Mayer received the Democratic nomination over a pool of candidates, including Bedford Supervisor Chris Burdick; former Bernie Sanders organizer and White Plains resident Kat Brezler; as well as Mark Jaffe, of West Harrison. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced his running as well, but dropped out of the race a week before the nominating process.
As of press time, Westchester County Republicans have not announced who it will select to run against Mayer, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has not yet called for a special election. Sarmad Khojasteh, a commercial litigation attorney from the town of Bedford, and Dan Schorr, a former prosecutor in Westchester and New York City and previous Yonkers inspector general, both announced they are seeking the Republican Party’s official nod.
Mayer will look to capitalize in a race for a seat that has been held by Democrats for decades, and will seek to increase Democrats’ standing in the state Senate where Republicans currently hold a one-person majority, 31-30, with two open seats.
The 37th Senatorial District encompasses the cities of Yonkers, White Plains, New Rochelle and Rye, and the towns of Eastchester, Harrison, Mamaroneck, Rye, Bedford and North Castle.
