WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN >>> Castro Serves Notice: “The People Are With Me”

Castro Serves Notice: “The People Are With Me”

Castro Files 14,073 Democratic Signatures Total Is More Than Seven Times Minimum Needed Last Thursday afternoon was a busy time at the Westchester Board of Elections in White Plains. Around noontime many candidates who hope to be running in primary contests come September 15 were coming in with their petitions for filing. Among them were Yonkers Democrats Chuck Lesnick and Sandy Annabi; Chuck seeking re-election as Yonkers City Council President and Sandy, presently Majority Leader of the Yonkers City Council, running in a primary against Jose Alvarado for County Legislator from the 17th District. At 12:30 Tony Castro, who had called a press conference, arrived with several supporters, including his wife Rose, his son Anthony and daughter Isabel, to announce the results of his campaign’s petition-gathering activities. Castro told reporters, “We’ve gathered 14,000 Democratic signatures. People were enthusiastic to sign. Rank and file Democrats recognize me as a People’s candidate, and not a candidate of the wealthy and powerful. The People want an independent prosecutor, not an embedded politician.” Given the extraordinarly large number of signatures, particularly for a single candidate, one reporter asked what he attributed the result to. Castro responded, “The message is very simple. the rank and file Democrats want a life-long Democrat and an independent prosecutor.” Robert Morabito, former Rye Town Supervisor who is challenging Tim Idoni for County Clerk in the Democratic Primary, stood beside Castro and told reporters, “Tony has overwhelming support from rank and file Democrats.” Morabito has been endorsed by the Independence Party. As the press conference went on, news was made on the spot as it was announced that Castro, who had 2,000 signatures from Independence Party members in addition to the 14,000 Democratic signatures, had just gotten word that he had been given the Working Families Party’s endorsement as well. Castro released the following official statement: “As we went door to door to ask every-day Democrats for their support, it became clearer and clearer that our message was getting through. There is only one lifelong Democrat in this race. There is only one candidate who isn’t beholden to party power brokers, and there is only one candidate who will fight for equal justice for all Westchester County residents, and that candidate is yours truly, Tony Castro. Today, we serve notice that Justice in Westchester is not the plaything of the powerful; and, the District Attorney’s Office is not a political prize to be awarded in some power sharing arrangement among the elite. The administration of Justice requires an impartial and independent District Attorney with consistent values; and that is the kind of District Attorney I will be.”