George Latimer (New York politician)

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George Latimer
File:George Latimer, 2023 (cropped).jpg
Latimer in 2023
9th County Executive of Westchester County
Assumed office
January 1, 2018
Deputy Ken Jenkins
Preceded by Rob Astorino
Member of the New York Senate
from the 37th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2017
Preceded by Suzi Oppenheimer
Succeeded by Shelley Mayer
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 91st district
In office
January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2012
Preceded by Ronald Tocci
Succeeded by Steven Otis
Member of the
Westchester County Board of Legislators
from the 7th district
In office
January 1, 1992 – December 31, 2004
Preceded by Diane A. Keane
Succeeded by Judy Myers
Personal details
Born George Stephen Latimer
(1953-11-22) November 22, 1953 (age 71)
Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Fordham University (BA)
New York University (MPA)
Website Campaign website

George Latimer (born November 22, 1953) is an American Democratic Party politician serving as County Executive in Westchester County, New York since 2018.

Prior to his election as County Executive, he served in the New York State Senate for the 37th District from 2013 to 2017. He has also served on the Rye city council, in the Westchester County legislature, and in the New York State Assembly. He ran successfully for County Executive in 2017, unseating incumbent Republican Rob Astorino.[1][2]

In 2024, he ran in the Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 16th Congressional District against incumbent Jamaal Bowman and successfully managed to unseat Bowman in the Democratic primary. Latimer is slated to face-off against Madeline Brame, a Republican opponent, on November 5, 2024.[3][4]

Early life and career

Latimer was born in Mount Vernon, New York on November 22, 1953, to Stanley and Loretta (née Miner) Latimer.[5] He attended local public schools. He commuted to Fordham University in the Bronx and graduated with a B.A. in 1974. He asked his father for a loan to get his Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from New York University's Wagner School.[5] While earning his graduate degree he worked part-time as a budget analyst at Fordham. After graduating in 1976, he took the position of housing coordinator, setting up Section 8 housing in Mount Vernon. “I discovered an affinity for government work, and I paid my father back,” he said.[6]

He later worked for two decades as a marketing executive in the hospitality industry for major organizations, including subsidiaries of Nestlé and ITT.[7]

Political career

Early elections

Latimer first ran for public office in 1987; he won a seat on the Rye City Council, finishing first in a field of 6 major party candidates.[5] Latimer was elevated in 1991 to the Westchester County Board of Legislators, the first-ever Democrat to win the 7th District seat representing the City of Rye, Village of Larchmont, and Mamaroneck Town and Village.[8] Latimer was re-elected in 1993, 1995, and 1997;[9] in January 1998, Democrats won a majority of seats in the County Board for the first time in 90 years. Latimer was elected to chair the board, and was the first Democrat ever to do so. He was re-elected to his legislative seat in 1999, and served a second term as chairman from 2000 to 2001.[10]

Latimer did not seek a third term as chair in 2002, having been re-elected to a sixth term in the Westchester County Legislature. Westchester County Democrats elected him County Democratic Party Chairman in September 2002, where he served for a two-year term.[11]

New York State Assembly

After winning re-election to the County Legislature in 2003, Latimer sought and won a seat in the New York State Assembly in 2004, serving until 2012.[12] In the Assembly, Latimer represented the 91st District, which included the Sound Shore communities of New Rochelle, Rye Brook, and Port Chester alongside the communities of his County Legislative District.

New York State Senate

In 2012, Latimer ran for the New York State Senate in the 37th District against Republican Bob Cohen following the retirement of Senator Suzi Oppenheimer (D). Following his election in 2012, Latimer was reelected in 2014 and 2016 serving from 2013 to 2017.[13][14][15][16]

Westchester County Executive

In 2017, Latimer challenged Republican incumbent Rob Astorino for Westchester County Executive.

During the campaign, Astorino called for Latimer to "step down from the state Senate's Education Committee because he missed the state budget vote..."[17] The Latimer campaign, in turn, accused Astorino of receiving a sweetheart deal on a Rolex watch due to his relationship with a businessman who had pleaded guilty to fraud charges; Latimer's campaign called for Astorino's resignation based on the allegations.[18][19]

Latimer defeated Astorino by 14 points despite being outspent over 3-to-1 by Astorino's campaign.[2][1]

On November 2, 2021, Latimer was re-elected to a second term as County Executive.[20]

As County Executive, Latimer explored purchasing the land around Pocantico Lake Park to create a new county park.[21]

2024 congressional campaign

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See also: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 16

In December 2023, Latimer announced that he was running for the United States House of Representatives in 2024, challenging incumbent Jamaal Bowman in the June 25 primary for the Democratic nomination in New York's 16th congressional district.[22] [23]

Latimer has received high-profile endorsements for his campaign including from Hillary Clinton, a resident of Chappaqua in Westchester County, former area representatives Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey, and most state legislators representing the district.[3][24] During the campaign, multiple news outlets reported on the "record-breaking" levels of outside spending in Latimer's favor. Over $14 million in outside spending benefited Latimer's campaign, much of it from groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.[25][26]

Electoral results

New York 91st Assembly District, 2004 General Election[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 26,978 64.3
Independence George S. Latimer 1,214 2.9
Working Families George S. Latimer 721 1.7
Total George S. Latimer 28,913 68.9
Republican Vincent J. Malfetano 12,257 29.2
Conservative Vincent J. Malfetano 793 1.9
Total Vincent J. Malfetano 13,050 31.1
Total votes 41,963 100.0
Democratic hold
New York 91st Assembly District, 2006 General Election[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 19,521 89.4
Independence George S. Latimer 1,410 6.5
Working Families George S. Latimer 899 4.1
Total George S. Latimer (incumbent) 21,830 100.0
Total votes 21,830 100.0
Democratic hold
New York 91st Assembly District, 2008 General Election[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 29,105 65.1
Independence George S. Latimer 1,754 3.9
Working Families George S. Latimer 1,027 2.3
Total George S. Latimer (incumbent) 31,886 71.3
Republican Rob Blagi 11,850 26.5
Conservative Rob Blagi 966 2.2
Total Rob Blagi 12,816 28.7
Total votes 44,702 100.0
Democratic hold
New York 91st Assembly District, 2010 General Election[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 18,704 59.9
Independence George S. Latimer 1,531 4.9
Working Families George S. Latimer 977 3.1
Total George S. Latimer (incumbent) 21,212 68.0
Republican Bill Reed 8,759 28.1
Conservative Bill Reed 1,246 4.0
Total Bill Reed 10,005 32.0
Total votes 31,217 100.0
Democratic hold
New York 37th Senatorial District, 2012 General Election[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 61,010 51.3
Working Families George S. Latimer 3,226 2.7
Total George S. Latimer 64,236 54.0
Republican Bob Cohen 48,125 40.5
Conservative Bob Cohen 4,522 3.8
Independence Bob Cohen 1,927 1.6
Total Bob Cohen 54,574 46.0
Write-ins Write-in 40 negligible
Total votes 118,850 100
Democratic hold
New York 37th Senatorial District, 2014 General Election[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 34,850 47.7
Working Families George S. Latimer 3,242 4.4
Total George S. Latimer (incumbent) 38,092 52.2
Republican Joseph L. Dillon 29,151 39.9
Conservative Joseph L. Dillon 4,572 6.2
Independence Joseph L. Dillon 1,190 1.6
Total Joseph L. Dillon 34,913 47.8
Write-ins Write-in 28 negligible
Total votes 73,033 100.0
Democratic hold
New York 37th Senatorial District, 2016 General Election[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 69,420 52.8
Working Families George S. Latimer 2,815 2.1
Women's Equality George S. Latimer 881 0.7
Total George S. Latimer (incumbent) 73,116 55.7
Republican Julie Killian 50,713 38.6
Conservative Julie Killian 5,216 4.0
Independence Julie Killian 1,809 1.4
style="background-color: Template:Reform Party of New York State/meta/color; width: 2px;" | [[Reform Party of New York State|Template:Reform Party of New York State/meta/shortname]] Julie Killian 426 0.3
Total Julie Killian 58,164 44.3
Write-ins Write-in 119 negligible
Total votes 131,399 100.0
Democratic hold
Westchester county Executive, 2017 Democratic Primary Election[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George S. Latimer 24,466 62.6
Democratic Ken Jenkins 14,316 36.7
Total votes 39,057 100.0
2017 Westchester County Executive election
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic George S. Latimer 116,834 53.2%
Working Families George S. Latimer 4,034 1.8%
Independence George S. Latimer 2,214 1.0%
Women's Equality George S. Latimer 960 0.4%
Reform George S. Latimer 231 0.1%
Total George S. Latimer 124,273 56.6%
Republican Rob Astorino 82,929 37.8%
Conservative Rob Astorino 12,441 5.7%
Total Rob Astorino (incumbent) 95,370 43.4%
Majority 28,903 13.2%
Totals 219,643 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican
2021 Westchester County Executive election
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic George S. Latimer 89,277 58%
Working Families George S. Latimer 5,556 4%
Total George S. Latimer (incumbent) 94,833 62%
Republican Christine Sculti 56,136 37%
Conservative Christine Sculti 1,933 1%
Total Christine Sculti 58,069 38%
Totals 152,902 100.0%
Democratic hold

Personal life

Latimer and his wife, Robin Phelps Latimer, are the parents of a daughter, Meagan.[35] He met his wife in the 1970s while he was working in sales for Stouffer's in White Plains, New York.[6]

References

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External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Diane A. Keane
 Member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators
from the 7th district
1992–2004		 Succeeded by
Judy Myers
New York Assembly
Preceded by Member of the New York Assembly
from the 91st district
2005–2012		 Succeeded by
Steven Otis
New York State Senate
Preceded by Member of the New York Senate
from the 37th district
2013–2017		 Succeeded by
Shelley Mayer
Political offices
Preceded by Executive of Westchester County
2018–present		 Incumbent
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  8. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/10/nyregion/democrats-upset-balance-of-power.html
  9. ↑ https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=61771
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  12. ↑ https://larchmontgazette.mamaroneckhistory.org/2005/articles/20050215countyrace/
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  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[permanent dead link]
  31. ↑ 2012 General Election Canvass Book, Westchester County, p. 292.
  32. ↑ 2014 General Election Canvass Book, Westchester County, p. 494.
  33. ↑ 2016 General Election Canvass Book, Westchester County, p. 263.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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