Legislator Testa Wins Independence Party Primary

Wins with highest number of write-in votes in all county-wide races

On Tuesday, October 1, 2013 the Westchester County Board of Elections officially declared John G. Testa the winner in the September 10^th Independence Party Primary election.

Despite the failed attempt of the Peekskill Democratic Party Chairwoman Marina Ciotti and challenger Duane Jackson to not allow the voters to choose John Testa, the election went ahead as scheduled. The NYS Supreme Court threw out the frivolous suit brought by Ciotti and Jackson and subsequently the NYS Appellate Court refused to allow them to take away choice from the voters of Cortlandt, Peekskill and Yorktown.

Nine County Legislators were involved in similar primaries throughout Westchester County. In all nine the Republican challengers were required to first obtain enough signatures from Independence Party members to allow the write-in election to take place and then receive enough write-in votes on election day to win the nomination. Testa received 127 write-in votes, the highest number of write-in votes of all the races taking place in the September 10^th primary.

“I would like to thank the Independence Party voters from Cortlandt, Peekskill and Yorktown who came out to write my name in on Primary Day to support me in the election,” Testa said. “The results of this primary election throughout the county sends a strong message to the electorate and especially the bosses of the Independence Party that the public will not tolerate backroom deals and party corruption but demands fair, open and transparent elections,” Testa added.

“The rank and file Independence voters of Legislative District 1 have spoken loud and clear by overwhelmingly supporting John Testa. For so many to come to the polls and write in the name of a candidate who was kept off the ballot by the party bosses, it shows how much they understand and appreciate the great job John has done in representing them in the County Government. It was a great win on every level,” commented Peekskill GOP Chairman Vincent Vesce.

In all nine county races the Independence Party bosses supported only Democratic candidates. On Primary Day Republicans won five of the races. In all five the Republican challenges were required to obtain their votes with write-ins while their Democratic challengers’ names appeared on the ballot. Winning their primaries was County Legislators Sheila Marcotte, Bernice Spreckman and Jim Maisano along with new candidate John Verni.

Testa will appear on the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party lines in November.

About John G. Testa

Former District 1 County Legislator, John G. Testa is served five terms at the Westchester County Board of Legislators, spending the last 3 terms as BOL Minority Leader. John G. Testa is a lifelong resident of Peekskill who first entered elected public service as a member of the Peekskill Common Council in 1998 and then served three terms as Mayor. He previously served on the Conservation and Parks Advisory Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. John became an elected official eager to improve the City in which his family has lived for more than a century and quickly earned a reputation as a strong, independent, nonpartisan voice for fiscal responsibility. John received a BS degree in Technology from SUNY Oswego, where his academic achievements gained him induction into Epsilon Pi Tau, the International Honorary Fraternity of Technology. He earned his MS degree in Technology from the City College of New York. He began his teaching career in 1980 at Peekskill High School, his alma mater, as an instructor in Technology and Social Studies, retiring in 2013 after 33 years teaching. John has been a leader in support for the Arts Community in Westchester. He presided over the construction of the Peekskill Art Lofts, the establishment of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, and the complete restoration of the Paramount Center for the Arts, originally a 1930’s movie house and helped bring critical funding to many Westchester programs. Legislator Testa received the “Advancing the Arts in Westchester Award” by ArtsWestchester. John has a been a leader on environmental issues for two decades and has a long record of initiatives he has supported and spearheaded. His active involvement in developing and promoting environmentally friendly policies began as mayor and continued throughout his time as Westchester County Legislator. His efforts consistently earned John the endorsement of the NY League of Conservation Voters. John’s most recognizable accomplishment has been his promotion and preservation of local history and historic landmarks, bringing an unprecedented focus on the region’s rich history, and its legacy of historic Victorian architecture. His roots in historical preservation stem from his experience as a Revolutionary War re-enactor and member of The Brigade of the American Revolution for 50 years. John was instrumental in securing the preservation of the Lincoln Depot, now the Lincoln Depot Museum, where he now serves as President. The museum was recognized in 2015 as one of The Best Museums in Westchester. He also secured the preservation of historic Fort Hill as parkland, a 40-acre parcel that was originally a Revolutionary War encampment site. Under his leadership, the United States Dept. of the Interior declared Peekskill a “Preserve America Community.” John was able to establish a record number of National Register designations of local structures, including the first Downtown and Neighborhood Historic Districts and supported the preservation of the historic Miller House in North White Plains. In 2017 John was named a “Champion of History” by the Lincoln Society in Peekskill. John and his wife of 37 years, Nancy, live in Peekskill and have two adult children, John, Jr. (fiancé Courtney Kelly) and Katy (husband Mike Mearon). John and Nancy recently welcomed the arrival of their first grandchild, Lacey Mae, in 2019.

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