Buchwald Announces Koch Endorsement Downtown

David Buchwald announced he has received the endorsement of former New York City Mayor Ed Koch Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Harrison and Halstead Ave. in Harrison.

Buchwald is a Democrat running against incumbent Republican Robert Castelli for the 93rd Assembly District seat. Currently a member of the White Plains Common Council, Buchwald was in Harrison making the announcement to residents and shoppers as they passed by.

"We want to make sure that every community knows about this important information," Buchwald said. "Downtown Harrison is a place that people throughout town come to to interact and learn what's going on in their neighborhood."

Koch's endorsement is key, Buchwald said, because the former mayor is known to have restored fiscal stability to New York City, always a critical issue in Albany.

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"Someone like Mayor Koch, who is known for his fiscal responsibility, who is known as an independent thinker, who is in favor of good government and responsible approaches to dealing with public policy issues (is important)," said Buchwald. "To have someone like him endorse me is a tremendous honor."

Buchwald told voters Wednesday he is running on a platform that includes a more open government and said his experience as a tax attorney and economic analyst will help keep spending under control.

He said he hopes to bring a very disciplined budget mindset, but added there is a "definite need for government in times when people are struggling."

"I'm looking to build on my success at the local level to connect people more to their government in Albany," Buchwald added. "A lot of people think of Albany as a different place, and there has got to be a much tighter, more accessible, approach to state government."

Koch was not available to visit Harrison Wednesday, but he issued a statement following the endorsement:

I enthusiastically support David Buchwald and endorse his candidacy for the New York State Assembly in the 93rd Assembly District. He combines the vitality of youth with the talent, experience and commitment to ethical reform that we would want all of our public officials to possess. In White Plains, Buchwald has helped bring fiscal discipline to the budget process, championing line item review, public input and transparency. At the same time, Buchwald authored laws strengthening the City’s Code of Ethics and has been a fighter for seniors, the rights of commuters, open spaces and preservation of the environment. Buchwald is pro-Choice and pro-marriage equality.

In contrast, his opponent, Robert Castelli, candidate of the Republican and Conservative parties, voted against prohibiting wage discrimination, against keeping firearms out of the hands of domestic violence offenders, against marriage equality, and has failed to support a woman’s right to choose.

As I see it, the choice is clear. I support David Buchwald.

Castelli, the incumbent in the 89th district, will seek his second full term in the Assembly against Buchwald this fall in the newly formed 93rd Assembly District. The district includes Harrison, Bedford, Lewisboro, Mt. Kisco, North Salem, Pound Ridge and White Plains.