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Three Races To Watch In Rockland

While the presidential race has enthralled the nation for the last year, there are plenty of local election races that are heating up. 

Sen. David Carlucci spoke out about a controversial marketing campaign from a New York City hair salon.

Sen. David Carlucci spoke out about a controversial marketing campaign from a New York City hair salon.

Photo Credit: Courtesy New York State Senate
Tom DePrisco

Tom DePrisco

Photo Credit: Tom DePrisco
State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee

State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee

Photo Credit: Ellen Jaffee/Facebook
Joe Chabot, 25, of Tappan, is running for state Assembly in the 97th District on the Republican line.

Joe Chabot, 25, of Tappan, is running for state Assembly in the 97th District on the Republican line.

Photo Credit: Joe Chabot/Facebook
Assemblyman James Skoufis backed many of the new laws that offer woman in the state more protection and rights.

Assemblyman James Skoufis backed many of the new laws that offer woman in the state more protection and rights.

Photo Credit: www.nylcv.org

Election Day is just around the corner. Here are three races to watch in Rockland County. 

Senatorial District 38: The senatorial district that includes three of five Rockland towns along with Briarcliff and Ossining in Westchester sees incumbent David Carlucci (D) face off against newcomer Republican Tom DePrisco. 

Since being elected to the senate in 2010, Carlucci has worked to solve the problems present in the East Ramapo School District and helped bring in state oversight. More recently Carlucci has worked to address the number of zombie homes in Rockland and Westchester, address concerns over blockbusting in neighborhoods, and he's drawn attention to the issue of opioid abuse, calling for mandatory drug take-back programs at pharmacies. 

Across the river Carlucci has been a proponent of rail safety following the fatal Metro North crash in Valhalla in 2015. And he recently co-hosted a public hearing on proposed anchorage sites in the Hudson River for barges, according to Lohud.com.

DePrisco is a retired NYPD officer and a member of the Pearl River and Rockland BOCES boards of education, who has stressed that problem solving in Albany needs a common sense approach. Like Carlucci, DePrisco wants to correct the problems that confront East Ramapo and has said the current oversight bill doesn't go far enough

Like his opponent, DePrisco is concerned by the purported issue of blockbusting. He is calling for stronger enforcement of local and county zoning laws and ordinances, and he has an eye toward reforming the state tax levy cap to ensure residents receive their rebate checks.  

Assembly District 97: After seeing off a challenge from Airmont resident Thomas Gulla in the Democratic primary, Ellen Jaffee* (D) will square off with first-time candidate Joe Chabot (R), from Tappan, to continue representing the 97th Assembly District in Albany.

The district includes the Ramapo villages of Airmont, Chestnut Ridge, Suffern, Spring Valley, Hillburn, parts of Montebello, New Square, and other unincorporated parts of the town, as well as Orangetown.

Jaffee has represented the 97th district since 2006 after serving as a Rockland County legislator and Village of Suffern Trustee. In addition to having supported the East Ramapo oversight bill, Jaffee, along with State Sen. David Carlucci, have called for state hearings that would consider declaring a cease and desist zone in Rockland County as complaints of blockbusting have increased over the last few months.

Chabot, who is from Tappan, has emphasized the importance of making New York affordable for all residents, and his desire to court businesses, particularly in the tech industry, to the area

Jaffee is also the Green Party choice in this district while Chabot is the Reform and Conservative parties choice. Gulla is also still on the ballot as the Working Families Party choice. 

Assembly District 99: While the majority of Assembly District 99 is in Orange County, one of the biggest campaign issues concerns Stony Point where Assemblyman James Skoufis (D) is facing off against Colin Shmitt (R). 

Skoufis is seeking his third term while Schmitt, a member of the Army National Guard and a former staff member of Sen. Greg Ball, is seeking his first term.

Stony Point is the only portion of Rockland included in Assembly District 99.

Both previously emphasized the significance of the Mirant tax settlement on North Rockland taxpayers, in an interview with lohud.com.

In order to provide full-day kindergarten in North Rockland, Skoufis introduced legislation with Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski (D) to increase transitional aid for them and other districts with half-day kindergarten, according to lohud.com. (After it passed the assembly, the bill was not voted on by the Senate.)

Schmitt’s solution is a plan to use mortgage settlement funds, in the amount of $670 million, to provide tax relief to North Rockland as well as fund full-day kindergarten to districts where it isn’t offered, lohud.com reported.

Both candidates are against the proposed Suez rate hike.

For more from lohud.com on the race in Assembly District 99, click here. 

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