NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Former City Council Member Shari Rackman announced today on Bob Marrone’s radio show that she is running for New Rochelle City Council from District 6.
Appearing on WVOX Good Morning Westchester, Rackman said she was collecting petition signatures. Asked by Marrone, for which party, Rackman said “both”, referring to the Republican and Democratic Party.
“Both questions are still up in the air,” when asked about the party line she is seeking and whether she intended to primary a current nominee.
There is no obvious reason why Rackman would need to be collecting petition signatures for the Republican Party. The GOP has no candidate for District 6. Obtaining the nomination for District 6 required she merely show up at the GOP convention two weeks ago and ask for the nomination. Further, Rackman is a registered Democrat and cannot force a primary in the Republican primary.
The only primary at this point would be in the Democratic Party.
Rackman would appear to be gathering signatures to force a Democratic Primary against incumbent and Democratic Party nominee Liz Fried who ousted Rackman in a Democratic Primary in 2015. Rackman then ran in the General Election that year as a Republican and lost again to Fried.
Rackman said “District 6 is not being represented well…Nobody is coming out into the community saying ‘hey, we’re thinking about doing A, B, C. What do you guys think about it. What are your views? What are your concerns?,”
Asked by Marrone if she was saying that has not been happening during Liz Fried’s tenure Rackman said flatly, “No, it hasn’t.”
Asked about issues of concern she mentioned the planned Alzheimers patient facility being developed by ND Acquisition LLC through a joint venture with National Development and EPOCH Senior Living at the site of the old Cooper’s Corner Nursery which Rackman said was a major traffic concern.
Rackman is being supported in her campaign by residents of the Bonnie Crest neighbored led by Deb Blatt, a vocal opponent of the planned development.
Three Bonnie Crest residents – Shmuel Vasser, Joseph Rafalowicz and Daniel Krasner – filed an Article 78 petition in Westchester County Court in May 2017. Vasser is Blatt’s husband.
The case was dismissed in September 2017 when Westchester Supreme Court Justice Anne E. Minihan ruled they did not have legal standing to file a claim because they live too far away from the proposed development and all administrative remedies had not been exhausted.
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