Deputy Supervisor Esposito Seeks to Unseat Harckham in District 40 Race

Sergio Esposito, an Italian immigrant who arrived in the United States as a toddler in 1972, is running for state Senate in District 40 as a Republican and Conservative nominee. The Yorktown deputy supervisor said he identifies as a moderate Republican rather than a follower of President Trump's movement, though he supports some of Trump's positions. In an interview following a Columbus Day commemoration in Carmel earlier this month, he pushed back against critics who label him as right-wing, recalling a conversation where an opponent immediately attacked his party affiliation. "Right away because I'm a Republican, I'm MAGA and all," Esposito said. "Stupidity. I mean, it's just, it's just nonsense."

Esposito, 55, was about two years old when his family left Sarno, Italy, for the United States. His father worked as an accountant and his mother ran a deli in Italy. He grew up in the Bronx, attended Mount Saint Michael Academy, studied philosophy and political science at Iona College, and earned a graduate degree in philosophy from the New School for Social Research. He started a computer repair and IT services company called Comprehensive Computers in 1998. He later became president of the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce and helped local businesses with information about the Paycheck Protection Program during the pandemic. He ran for town board in 2021 and won.

Esposito's family history shapes his position on immigration. He supports tight borders and deportation of people in the country illegally, but he also supports a path to legalization for immigrants who have not broken the law. "I've seen how my parents are treated because they don't speak English," he said. "I have a different perspective." He also stated that a criminal is a criminal regardless of immigration status, adding that he does not distinguish between lawbreakers. Yorktown Heights residents Tom and Jessica Gorman endorsed Esposito at an Oct. 7 press conference. Their daughter was killed earlier this year by an undocumented man at her college in Chicago. The couple said they support Esposito's pledge to fight New York's sanctuary laws.

Esposito is challenging incumbent Sen. Pete Harckham, a Democrat first elected in 2018 who is seeking a fifth two-term term. Harckham defeated Republican incumbent Terrence Murphy in 2018 with about 52% of the vote, ending more than a century of Republican victories in the district's various configurations. In 2024, Harckham won about 54% against GOP candidate Gina Arena. The 40th District spans Putnam and Rockland counties and northern Westchester, including New Castle and Mount Kisco. Esposito's three priorities if elected are cutting property taxes, addressing the energy crisis, and improving public safety. He advocates modernizing and reopening the Indian Point Energy Center nuclear facility in Buchanan and supports solar, wind, gas and nuclear power. He also criticized New York's cashless bail law, calling it "disastrous for police." Esposito is a certified firearms instructor who teaches New York's 18-hour pistol-permit course and serves as a volunteer deputy sheriff with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.