Gashi wins another term on Westchester County Board of Legislators

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. —Vedat Gashi, a Democrat from Yorktown and current chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, has secured another term, defeating political newcomer Kevin O’Keefe of Somers. The three-term incumbent will continue representing District 4, which includes parts of Yorktown, Somers and New Castle.

As of 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, Gashi earned 6,349 votes and O'Keefe received 4,707 votes, according to the unofficial tally of election results. These totals do not reflect early voting numbers.

In a phone call Wednesday, Gashi told Yorktown News that O’Keefe reached out to concede and that he’s feeling “excited about the victory.”

He said he ran on a platform for all voters. 

"This is a district where 61 percent of the voters aren't Democrats and we ran on the work we've been doing, our record and serving the entire community," Gashi said. "You can't just appeal to a party and I think the work we've done has been to serve the entire community.

Gashi said he's proud of the campaign efforts, voter turnout and all that led to what he called an “overwhelming victory" and "a result we could be proud of."

Born in Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia, Gashi emigrated to the United States with his family as a young child to escape the communist regime. His family eventually settled in Yorktown, where he graduated from Lakeland High School before earning degrees from Connecticut College and Seton Hall University School of Law. During law school, he interned with future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Congressman Lee Hamilton.

After law school, Gashi returned to newly independent Kosovo to work on legal and government reforms. He now runs a real estate law practice in Yorktown Heights.

Gashi has served as chairman of the Board of Legislators and said the legislators will vote on one member to serve as chair. He said he “would go through the next steps” and would “like to earn my ability to serve again in that role.”

O’Keefe, a Marine Corps veteran and local union leader who sought his first term on the county legislature, said in an email to Yorktown News that he wished Gashi luck when he called to concede earlier Wednesday.

"From the start, I understood that running against an established elected official like Vedat would be challenging. That's why I immediately began working diligently after my nomination for candidate in District 4 became official earlier this year," O'Keefe said. "Although I did not win this election, I am proud that, as someone without a political background, I achieved an impressive number in the final results."

He added that he "genuinely enjoyed" his campaign and said he "had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people along the way. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my volunteers, supporters, contributors, and everyone who believed in me and cast their vote. Last and surely not least , I want to thank my wife and family."