Peekskill Voters Elect Rainey

PEEKSKILL – Peekskill voters elected Councilman Andre Rainey the new Mayor of Peekskill, defeating two-term Republican Frank Catalina. Catalina conceded this evening to Rainey at the Democratic victory party.

At 33, Rainey becomes the youngest mayor in the city’s history. Democrats Vanessa Agudelo, Ramon Fernandez, and Colin Smith overwhelmingly defeated the Republican council slate with lopsided margins. Agudelo, at 25, is the youngest council person to ever be elected to Peekskill City Hall.

Nancy Vann, running against incumbent legislator John Testa, handily beat him in the City of Peekskill and the race is too close to call at 11:00pm on election night.

At a jam-packed election celebration at the BeanRunner Café, Rainey thanked the thousands of residents who turned out to vote and support his campaign. In a victory speech, Rainey committed to continue moving the city forward, building on the significant progress that Democrats began ten years ago, but to do so with a dramatic change in tone in City Hall.

“Peekskill decided tonight that they liked the success that the Democratic majority has been able to achieve, but wanted a more positive and unifying mayor who could make all residents proud and would build bridges, not walls,” said mayor-elect Andre Rainey. “To those who voted for me and those who voted for the incumbent mayor, I will do everything I can every day to make you proud. I will not be perfect, I will make mistakes, but I will work my heart out every day to move this city forward and include all voices at the table.”