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Incumbent District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. conceded the Democratic Primary to former federal prosecutor and MSNBC analyst Mimi Rocah on Thursday, July 16.
Scarpino’s concession comes more than three weeks after the primary on Tuesday, June 23, which was slowed by thousands of mail-in ballots that had to be counted due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“I am tremendously honored to be able to declare victory today in the Democratic Primary for Westchester District Attorney after three weeks with more than 50,000 absentee ballots counted. I am grateful to every voter for making their voice heard during this pandemic," Rocah said. "This result is a strong mandate from voters - they want change in Westchester’s criminal justice system as our nation reckons with police misconduct, demands greater accountability and ethics reform at all levels of government,”
According to Rocah, since winning 68 percent of the in-person votes from Early Voting and Election Day (27,759 votes to Scarpino’s 13,082), Rocah has won 76 percent of the mailed-in absentee ballots opened so far (38,530 vs. 12,279 for Scarpino).
With less than 30,000 paper ballots remaining to be counted, Rocah’s total 66,289 votes (72 percent) against Scarpino’s 25,361, decisively makes her the Democratic nominee facing the Republican in November's General Election
Roach will now go on to face Republican Bruce Bendish in the general election in November. Bendish previously ran for the same seat and lost to Scarpino in 2016.
“Today I called Mimi Rocah to congratulate her on winning the Democratic nomination for Westchester County District Attorney,” Scarpino said. “I look forward to supporting her and Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
“It has been my distinct honor to serve as District Attorney and I am grateful to the people of Westchester for affording me the opportunity to do so since 2017,” Scarpino said. “I am extraordinarily proud of the public servants in the District Attorney’s Office who dedicate every day to create a safer, more just County for all.
“I look forward to completing my term as District Attorney, a role which has been an integral part of my four-decade-long career in service to the community that I love.”
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