Write-in candidate continues to lead Harrison mayoral race by just 1 vote
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A candidate in Westchester County is on the verge of pulling off a major upset. He ran a write-in campaign for mayor of affluent Harrison.
As of now, he's leading the incumbent by one vote, and on Monday a recount was underway.
Harrison is widely considered an ideal suburb. The median price of a home for sale is $2.2 million. So, who's gonna call the shots at village hall next year?
"I've been trying to find out for the last few weeks. Who won? Who won? And nobody knows," one person said.
Former mayor Ron Belmont thinks he won. Belmont ran a write-in campaign and appears to have squeaked past incumbent Mayor Richard Dionisio. The final margin is to be determined, but right now Belmont is on top by a single vote.
"We came through. I believe we won the election and now we have to go thorough the process to formalize it," Belmont said.
That process is happening inside the county Board of Elections, where write-in ballots are being recounted and in some cases challenged.
Some voters did not write-in Belmont's complete name.
"Close to 150 votes that are in dispute that may say 'R. Belmont, Ronny Belmont, Mr. Belmont,' we're hoping they count. They should count because that was the intent of the voter, to vote for me," Belmont said.
It's the second municipal election in Westchester this year to be decided by just a tiny handful of votes.
"I think it's supremely important to get out and vote. It's your right as an American citizen," Harrison voter Jen Ricci said.
The recount is expected to drag into Wednesday, and there's also a court challenge over Belmont's eligibility, given Harrison's recently enacted term-limits law.
This one is still days, if not weeks, away from being settled.
Democrat Mark Jaffe also ran strong, coming in third place by fewer than 200 votes.