Congressman-Elect Latimer Heads to DC
Rye guy and NY-16 Congressman elect George Latimer hit the road on Thursday morning. Latimer turned in his Westchester County-supplied car, and he and his wife Robin departed their Wainwright Street home in Robin’s white Grand Cherokee for the drive down to Washington, DC.
Latimer formally resigned as Westchester County Executive on Thursday and, provided a Speaker of the House is installed on schedule, he will become Rye’s new Congressman mid-day on Friday, some time between 12:00pm and 2:00pm. All incoming Congressmen are sworn in at the same time (not individually, as happens with Senators) by the Speaker of the House.
Latimer did not think it was a circumstance where he would be asked to place a hand on a bible, but in response to the question he said he would be packing the family bible. “Since you mentioned it, I think I’ll bring it with me anyway, just to be on the safe side,” Latimer said to this writer.
The Work
Latimer expects his two committee assignments within the next week or two. He has requested to be on Transportation & Infrastructure and Financial Services. Both are desirable committees and being a freshman Congressman in the minority party, he will have to see what cards he is dealt.
“I thought that both my background and the nature of the district lent my experience to those two areas,” Latimer told MyRye.com. “Financial services is considered an elite committee or exclusive committee, and transportation infrastructure a desirable committee. So at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter my age, it doesn’t matter what I’ve done before I got into the House, I have no seniority. So if there’s a guy who’s got a couple of terms in and he’s been waiting for a seat on TNI, I may not get it.”
Latimer has lots of other work to do. He and his staff need to take over two existing local constituent offices – one in Co-op City Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes had when she represented that area (prior to redistricting) and the office that outgoing Congressman Jamaal Bowman (and Nita Lowey before him) had in White Plains. He cannot take possession of the offices until he is sworn in.
“I have a bunch of stuff from the county office buildings,” said Latimer. “I cleaned out my office [to] a storage room in the basement of the County office building. So this Saturday night, your friend, the former County Executive and now Congressman, is going to be schlepping boxes from Martine Avenue to Mamaroneck Avenue to set up the new office.”
Richard Orsillo will be Latimer’s chief of staff in DC. Ellen Hendrickx of Greenburgh will oversee his White Plains office and Tremaine O’Garro will oversee the Co-op City office.
Sleeping, Commuting and Celebrating Back in Rye
Latimer will be staying in his sister’s spare bedroom in Northern Virginia to start things off. It is a subway commute to the Capital. Back in 1982 – 84 when he and Robin were first married, Latimer had a corporate assignment in Springfield, Virginia, so he is familiar with the area.
Latimer expects to split his time between Rye and DC. He thinks he’ll usually train down Mondays and fly back Thursday evenings. He says he will miss running from event to event across Westchester all the time to see and keep connected to everyone.
Latimer has scheduled a ceremonial inauguration back in Rye on Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 3:00pm. It will be held at the Rye High School auditorium and State Senator Shelley Mayer will be the emcee. Details on the exact event line up are to be decided. Good bet Latimer’s wife Robin will be singing God Bless America.
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