The race for Westchester County Board of Legislators District 4, which includes parts of Yorktown, Somers and New Castle, pits incumbent Democrat Vedat Gashi of Yorktown, the board’s current chair, against Republican John Campobasso, a lifelong Yorktown resident making his first run for elected office.
We sent each candidate written questions. Their responses are unedited except for formatting. (Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.)
John Campobasso grew up in Yorktown and graduated from Yorktown High School in 1991. He studied business at Westchester Community College in 1992. He has worked as a union carpenter for 34 years and owned a small business for 19 years. Campobasso has served as president of the Yorktown Athletic Club for 12 years and coached youth sports for 19 years. He has also served on the town’s Parks and Recreation Commission for seven years, including five years as vice chairman. His involvement in local political campaigns over the past seven years led to his decision to run for county legislator. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Tyler and Ryan, who graduated from Seton Hall University and Pace University, respectively.
What are the most important issues facing Westchester County, and why are you the most qualified to address them? Affordability is one of the most important issues in the County. The financial stress that we are putting [on] our seniors and our young adults needs immediate attention. Property taxes, energy costs and healthcare have driven proud New Yorkers to flee the County and State. Throughout my professional career, I have managed many large projects, budgets and crews, which gives me a unique perspective of balancing budgets and staffing.
As a Union member and business owner, I see both sides of labor and employment matters. We need to complete contracts with our Westchester County Police so that we acknowledge, attract and retain the brave men and women that keep our communities safe.
The County has also passed horrific laws that have put its own residents in danger and caused tragedy for too many families.
I will examine every law and budget and address their failures.
If elected, what will be your top priorities over the next year? My constituents’ safety is a top priority. As such, I fight the disastrous sanctuary policies as well as cashless bail that our county and state have adopted. Without laws and enforcement of them we can never live in peace. I will be a voice for all my constituents and a strong advocate for their security and well-being.
I will be accessible and will listen to every issue that is important to any of my constituents.
On a personal level, what is the most important piece of advice you have received? The best advice I have ever received was to never go to bed angry. This has served my marriage well and has shaped the way I parent. You can not think clearly when anger clouds your judgement.
Vedat Gashi was born in Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia, and immigrated to the United States with his family as a young child to escape the communist regime. The family eventually settled in Yorktown, where he graduated from Lakeland High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, where he later served as a young alumni trustee, and a law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Gashi interned with future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Indiana, on the House International Relations Committee.He later worked in Kosovo as part of U.S. and European efforts to establish the newly independent state, helping draft foundational legal documents and establish the Ministry of Local Government Administration. He was later nominated by the United Nations to serve as chief legal adviser to Kosovo’s prime minister. Gashi operates a real estate law practice in Yorktown Heights and the Bronx.
What are the most important issues facing Westchester County, and why are you the most qualified to address them? These are tough financial times, many families are struggling to pay the bills - affordability must remain our number one priority as we tackle the challenges ahead. As Legislator, I have spent the last four years fighting for Westchester families: keeping taxes down, enacting climate solutions, and investing in public resources. With your vote, we can continue to solve problems for everyday families.
If elected, what will be your top priorities over the next year? We need to continue the work that we have been doing to address the [affordability] crisis. This year I created an affordability task force to develop more effective policies to better address this issue. In my next term I’ll enact these legislative solutions.
On a personal level, what is the most important piece of advice you have received? This one is easy — my grandfather always told me to conduct myself with humility and respect. I think we can trace many of the biggest problems we face in government to arrogance. As Mother Theresa said, "Humility is the mother of all virtues." That has always guided me.
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