Harckham Leads in Race for County Seat, Michaelis Not Conceding

Republican Peter Michaelis trails Peter Harckham in the race for county legislator, District 2, but he's not ready to concede.

"There's too much we don't know," he said at Peppino's Restaurant in Katonah around 11:30 p.m.

With 80 percent of the votes counted, Harckham has the lead, 3,741 to 3,251.

Machines in Mount Kisco, Lewisboro and Bedford were impounded and have not been included in elections tallies, say campaign volunteers, and that's enough to hold onto for the Michaelis campaign.

An hour earlier, Harckham, flanked by his fellow Democratic candidates and family members, said he was not declaring victory yet but felt "very good" about where the race was headed.

"Not all the numbers are in. Where stand right now, we're up by 717 votes, with Lewisboro outstanding, and we are very comfortable that the numbers will hold up," he said to a group of about 35 supporters gathered at Oliver's in Katonah.

The race pinned Michaelis' campaign of breaking the Democratic supermajority within the county board against Harckham's campaign that has promoted his record of maintaining a fair system of checks and balances to the county executive's office.

In his speech, Harckham said voters spoke "loudly and clearly" on that issue.

"The voters said they want balance, they don't want one-party control. They don't want a county executive without checks and balances," he said.

The two have also and where to cut services, with Harckham citing his record as evidence of his efforts to shrink government and reduce spending and Michaelis countering that he would look for further consolidation and make tougher choices if elected.

Should the numbers hold up, Harckham's supporters expressed confidence in the job he has done do far and will continue to do.

"He takes an interest in people—he's very caring about the issues when he takes them on—he's not in it for the glory, he does it to serve," said Neal Hundt, a 57-year-old Katonah resident.

Maryanne Carr agreed. "Pete is genuinely interested in the issues; he works hard and he works smartly," said the 52-year-old Bedford resident.

It's not the first time the two have faced each other in a political contest. Michaelis lost to Harckham in a bid for the same seat in 2007, by a margin of 365 votes. Harckham ran unopposed in 2009.

Britta Vander Linden, campaign spokesperson for Michaelis, said the mood at Peppino's was spirited. "We are proud of the campaign we ran and felt energized to come together tonight," she said.

Legislators serve terms of two years and make a base salary of $49,500. District 2 encompasses Bedford, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, North Salem, Pound Ridge and Somers.

Check back with Patch for more on this race tomorrow.