Latimer on His Week @ the Democratic Convention
Among the 4,700 delegates in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention was Rye guy, Westchester County Executive and Democratic Congressional candidate for NY-16 George Latimer. MyRye.com spoke with Latimer Friday morning while he was still in Chicago on his way back to New York.
“It was very upbeat, and I think, as the national press has shown in the last month, the decision by President Biden not to run has changed the tenor of the Democratic Party in a dramatic way,” said Latimer. “It was a very upbeat experience.”
On Vice President and Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris’s speech Thursday evening, Latimer said “She talked about middle class tax cut. She talked about having very strong military. She talked about our support for Ukraine, and then also she walked the line of the Middle East, support for Israel, at the same time, empathy to the civilian deaths in Palestine and how we have to negotiate to a peaceful situation there.”
This was Latimer’s second Democratic convention, the last one he attended was 20 years ago in 2004 when John Kerry was nominated. He was quick to compliment to unusually nice Chicago weather (no humidity), the effective job by the Chicago Police and all the service people who “could not have been nicer”.
On his general impressions on the week, Latimer projects a humble, big eyed view of someone who has been focused on retail politics. “Even though I’m running for Congress … It’s still kind of impressive. I met Phil Murphy, had a chance to talk to him for a minute, had a chance to talk to a couple of United States senators. And you know I’m still basically a guy from Rye. I’m still basically the guy you go see at Poppy’s or at On the Way Cafe.”
Asked who he met over the course of the week, Latimer mentioned Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin (the lead impeachment manager for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump), New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Connecticut US Senator Richard Blumenthal. “There were any number of people who were aware of the primary that I was in,” said Latimer. “They may not have known me [but] as I went to say, hi, I’m George Latimer from New York, they said, oh, you’re the guy that dot, dot, dot. And for a couple of them who are members of Congress, you know, congratulations [on the primary race].”
Other locals out at the convention were Danielle Tagger-Epstein, chair of the Rye City Democratic Committee; Westchester Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins and State Senator Shelley Mayer. Latimer, Jenkins and Mayer were all New York State delegates. Asked what the fall looks like, Latimer said he has a “two headed monster” to work with – as County Executive it is budget season, and on the Congressional campaign he will be resuming retail campaigning.
