Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins announced his run for county executive before supporters in White Plains earlier this month. Speaking with WAMC, the Democrat says he wants to continue the investments he and Latimer have made on public safety, mental health, and housing since 2018.
“Doing all of those kinds of investments, while we’ve been able to hold the line on taxes — I feel that it’s a tremendous accomplishment," says Jenkins. "And I think that’s going to bode well for us going forward, whether the challenging times come from the state or the federal government.”
This isn’t Jenkins’ first time running for county executive: he unsuccessfully ran against Latimer in the Democratic primary in 2017, before Latimer appointed him as deputy. This time around, rather than emphasize anything he might do differently as county executive, Jenkins is running as a steady figure who has already worked with Latimer to lead Westchester through one Trump presidency — and who is ready to do so again.
“He was the president when we came in in 2018, and during that time we were able to restore our Community Development Block Grant funds, the federal dollars that had been lost over those years," Jenkins explains. "And being able to build over 6,000 units of affordable housing...We understand how to navigate through these particular times, and work with our federal partners, whether they’re Democrat or Republican.”
Jenkins says working with federal lawmakers will be crucial if the county hopes to pull in funding for additional housing and climate-resilient infrastructure. Westchester County communities have been frequent sites of flooding in recent years.
If elected, Jenkins would be Westchester’s first Black county executive. A longtime resident of Yonkers, he served more than a decade on the county Board of Legislators, including a stint as chairman from 2010 to 2013. He led the Yonkers chapter of the NAACP before clashing with leadership in the 1990s, and has sat on Democratic committees at the local and state level. Currently, Jenkins serves as chair of New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission — a position he would have to step down from if he becomes county executive.
“Whether it was me being the chair of the Board of Legislators, whether it was the experience that I’ve had in the Independent Redistricting Commission, and certainly as deputy county executive with George Latimer — all of those experiences lead us to develop pragmatic solutions by taking the time to have input and hear from all different points of view, and coming up with the best solution possible," says Jenkins.
Latimer formally announced his resignation on Monday. Once he wraps his last day on January 2, the Board of Legislators will tap an acting county executive and begin planning a special election to take place within 90 days. Jenkins says major parties will need to declare their candidates within 10 days. Whoever wins will fill the last year of Latimer’s term, and if they hope to continue in the seat, they must run again in November.
That means Jenkins could face three separate elections next year: the special election, a primary, and then the general election in November. But asked about the shakeup on WAMC’s Congressional Corner, Latimer said Jenkins is up to the task.
“Ken and I have worked as a team in so many ways in public," he added. "So he is ready to be a great county executive. The voters will decide, but I think he is ready.”
Jenkins is the only candidate to toss his hat in the ring so far. The Westchester Republican County Committee did not return a request for comment Tuesday.
