Former Harrison Supervisor Ron Belmont and Democratic challenger Mark Jaffe are appealing a judge’s ruling that incumbent Supervisor Richard Dionisio has won a wild race to lead the town/village for the next two years.

State Supreme Court Justice Lewis Lubell ruled last Thursday that Belmont was ineligible to serve a sixth term and rejected Jaffe’s call for a runoff election between him and Dionisio. Rather, Lubell directed the Westchester Board of Elections to certify a winner consistent with his decision.

As a result, the Board of Elections on Friday certified that Dionisio had won the election, sending a winner’s certificate to Dionisio and notifying the state Board of Elections, said Tajian Nelson, Westchester’s Democratic elections commissioner.

But Belmont and Jaffe are seeking stays that would prevent Dionisio from beginning a second term on Jan. 1.

Jaffe said Wednesday he has a hearing Thursday afternoon at the state Supreme Court Appellate Division, Second Department, in Brooklyn. Adam Bradley, a lawyer for Belmont, said he expected a hearing soon, possibly Thursday.

In addition to seeking a stay, Belmont and Jaffe have filed notices of appeal to challenge Lubell’s ruling.

Lubell determined that Belmont — a Republican who decided not to seek re-election in 2021 after five terms as supervisor — was not eligible to serve another term. The Harrison Town Board adopted a law in August 2022 limiting supervisors to a total of five terms, or 10 years, in office. Voters then passed a referendum in November 2023 supporting term limits.

Belmont’s side believes Lubell lacked the jurisdiction to decide a candidate’s eligibility and essentially declare a winner.

“You can’t make the second-place finisher the mayor,” Belmont said Wednesday.

Jaffe maintains that New York state law clearly allows for a special election after a candidate is declared ineligible.

“We don’t believe that somebody who got one-third of the vote should be appointed mayor,” Jaffe said.

Belmont began a late write-in campaign in September against Dionisio and Jaffe. Dionisio got 1,987 votes to Jaffe’s 1,863. But after Belmont’s write-in votes were tallied — a process that ended with Lubell reviewing 253 ballots to determine whether they should be counted — Belmont wound up with 2,119 votes.

But Belmont’s victory did not hold up, as Lubell ruled that he was not eligible to serve another term.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Belmont, Jaffe appeal decision giving Dionisio victory in Harrison