Castelli Bids State Legislature Farewell as Assembly Tenure Ends
Outgoing Assemblyman Robert Castelli isn’t really upset that he lost his re-election bid in November to retain his seat in the new 93rd Assembly District.
Sure, he loved the job he held for nearly three years, taking over after winning a February 2010 special election that was necessitated when Adam Bradley completed a successful bid to become mayor of White Plains.
However, Castelli knew 2012 would be different than that special election victory over County Legislator Peter Harckham or his 100-vote squeaker against then-xouncilman and current White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach in the general election nine months later.
In addition to being matched up against a formidable Democrat in David Buchwald, Castelli, 62, a former Lewisboro Town Board member, had to contend with a gerrymandered district with a nearly 2-to-1 Democratic registration advantage. There was also a convergence of political factors that proved too steep to overcome for any Republican candidate, including the heavier turnout in a presidential election year.
“I just didn’t have to defeat my opponent, but I had to overcome the Speaker who targeted my seat,” Castelli said, “and I had to defeat the President of the United States.”
Despite the political machinations, Castelli called his time in office “a tremendous honor.” He moved as freely among the many Democratic officials in his district and in Albany as he did with members of his own party. It was that conscious effort to transcend politics while serving his district that Castelli said he is most proud of.
In fact, in the 2010 general election campaign, he had talked about going out of his way to befriend Democrats, who held an imposing Assembly majority, rather than staying with members of his own party..
“I think I’m most proud of my record of bipartisanship and I think everybody knew it,” Castelli said.
Despite problems navigating the Assembly with the powerful Speaker Sheldon Silver holding sway, the legislation that Castelli introduced where he thought he made the biggest difference was a bill to protect the jobs of reservists and members of the National Guard who are called into service. It even received Silver’s support.
Castelli didn’t rule out another run for public office last week. The former retired state trooper and criminology professor said he isn’t sure what he’ll do now that his tenure on the legislature ended Monday. He said it is likely that he will return to teaching but that he might also take six months off to tend to a few personal matters that he didn’t have time for while on call seven days a week.
As for the possibility of any political future, Castelli said he has learned that you “never say never.”
“I think there are ample opportunities for me there in either elected office or maybe an appointed office in government,” Castelli said.
Regardless of where lands, he enjoyed his time serving his constituents and being a public servant.
“It’s been a tremendous honor to serve the district and the people of the state of New York,” he said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
