The race to fill the 12th District seat formerly held by Westchester County Legislator Tom Abinanti is coming to a head as voters head to the polls tomorrow to decide a successor.

The winner will serve out the remainder of Abinanti's term, until the end of December 2011.

The election in November is for the next full two year term.

Vying for the seat is Mary Jane Shimsky, who's running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Family lines and Nick DeCicco, who's running on the Republican line.

Shimsky is an attorney. She served as Community Relations Director for former State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky. She has also served on the Hastings Democratic Committee as chair and vice chair. She is currently a vice chair of the Westchester County Democratic Committee.

DeCicco  is a prosecutor for the Westchester County District Attorney's office and is assigned to Family Court in Yonkers. He has also served on the Greenburgh Police Advisory Commission as well as the Greenburgh Zoning Board of Appeals.

Westchesternewsonline.com spoke with both candidates at length about a number of key issues facing Westchester. DeCicco says the key issue is job creation and economic development in the County. He says campaigning and going door-to-door in recent weeks to over 2,000 homes in the District has been an eye-opener for him. "People say to me,' help me stay in my home. Working families and seniors  tell me this is a real concern of theirs, that they may have to move, that they don't know how much longer they can stay.'I myself understand what it's like to struggle to stay in my home, where I live."

Shimsky says the issue is one that hits close to home for her and that she and her husband are among the many who are facing an "economic crisis." The key, she says is "Striking the right balance in the County budget, to continue to pay for services for those who need them, and at the same time keep costs low enough for those who can't afford to pay more."

The Greenburgh Democratic Committee held a convention tonight and selected Mary Jane Shimsky to run for County Legislator in the 12th District.

Shimsky of Hastings-on-Hudson and William Greenawalt of Hartsdale were vying for the Democratic party's nomination to run in the special election for the seat that was vacated by Legislator Tom Abinanti. Abinanti left after winning the State Assembly seat formerly held by Richard Brodsky.

Longtime Westchester County Legislator Tom Abinanti(D-Greenburgh) Tuesday easily defeated challenger Anna Sterne for the Democratic nomination in the 92nd State Assembly District Race.

According to unofficial results, Abinanti was ahead of the Dobbs Ferry school Trustee 65%-35% with 83% of the vote count in.

Abinanti thanked his challenger and applauded her for "sticking to the issues."

Democratic officials announced today that a primary will be held to determine the Democratic candidate in the State Attorney General Race. Speaking at the State Democratic Convention at the Rye Town Hilton, Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said the 5 candidates vying for the slot will primary each other in the Fall.

The candidates include Westchester Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice, Bronxville attorney and former prosecutor, Sean Coffey, Former State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo and State Senator Eric Schneiderman.

Thousands of democrats from across the state are gathering in Westchester today to formally nominate candidates in the key races statewide.
The convention is set to begin at 8:45 this morning at the Rye Town Hilton in Rye Brook.

The Westchester County Democratic Committe has released its endorsements and is backing Andrew Cuomo for Governor, even though he has not yet announced his candidacy,Tom DiNapoli for comptroller, Westchester Assemblyman Richard Brodsky for Attorney General, and Senators Charles  Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.