Sen. Leibell will not seek another term

HARLEM VALLEY — State Sen. Vincent Leibell, who currently represents the state’s 40th District, announced last week that he will not run for a ninth term.

Instead, Leibell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1995, is throwing his hat in the ring for the position of Putnam County executive, currently held by Robert Bondi, who is serving his fifth term.

“It has been my honor to represent those who live in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties both in the state Senate and the state Assembly,� Leibell said in a press release. “Our crushing tax burden mandates that we re-engineer government, that we redesign how we provide services and that we shrink and consolidate those services — and that is what I intend to do.�

Leibell was a familiar face in the area, most often sighted at events held at the Amenia Free Library.

“When you go into that library, it
may be small in terms of its physical size, but it’s a library with a huge heart,� Leibell emphasized in an article published late last year on librarian Miriam Devine. “Every group you can think of receives great service there.�

There are a number of candidates currently vying for Leibell’s seat, including Republican state Assemblyman Greg Ball, Democrat Michael Kaplowitz, who is currently a Westchester County legislator, and Republican Mary Beth Murphy, currently the Somers town supervisor.

The 40th Senate District covers the entirety of Putnam County and parts of southern Dutchess and northern Westchester counties.