Background on the Primary Election and the Brass-Knuckle Tactics of the Democratic Party
Wilson Terrero, a former Yonkers City Council Member, is not a quitter. Even after he lost his re-election bid for his Council seat to Corazon Pineda-Isaac in 2013, and then lost to her a second time in 2017, he is once again running for office.
This time, he has set his sights on the open seat in the 17th District of the Westchester Board of County Legislators, as the incumbent Jose Alvarado is not seeking reelection. Terrero’s opponent in the June 23 Democratic primary is Leslye Oquendo-Thomas. Early voting begins June 13.
Whoever wins the primary is assured to win the general election because there will be no Republican candidate on the ballot. The district is so heavily Democratic, the Republicans know they don’t stand a chance.
The race between Terrero and Oquendo-Thomas has been shaped, in part, by hardball Yonkers Democratic Party politics. Before announcing their intentions to run, both candidates worked in similar positions in Yonkers government. Oquendo-Thomas served as a Legislative Aide to Pineda-Isaac, and Terrero as an Aide to City Council in the clerk’s office.
Candidate Fired for Running for Office
However, in February, Yonkers City Council Majority Leader John Rubbo fired Oquendo-Thomas because her entry into the race defied the dictates of the Yonkers Democratic Party, which endorsed Terrero. (See Yonkers Ledger article on Oquendo-Thomas firing here.)
For his part, even though he is a Democratic ward leader and party insider, Terrero claims that he was not involved in the decision to fire Oquendo-Thomas.
But this primary election is about more than just brass-knuckle Yonkers politics. This race, along with two other contested Democratic primaries, may also serve as a barometer of the current mood of the electorate: are they happy to continue to support candidates of the powerful party establishment, or will they back the challengers? A newfound preference for outsider candidates could, in turn, impact the upcoming 2027 mayoral election.
From the Dominican Republic to Life as a Businessman, Community Activist, City Official and Employee
Wilson Terrero has lived in Yonkers for 35 years and is passionate about his city. He lives in Park Hill with his wife and daughter. One of the motivating forces in his life is giving back to his community, in his roles as businessman, community activist and former elected official.
Terrero moved to Yonkers from the Dominican Republic as a teenager. He graduated from Mercy College and initially worked in his family’s small grocery business. He and his brother built a successful business – Terrero Realty, LLC – and they currently own three small apartment buildings, two in Yonkers and one in the Bronx.
In 2003, he founded the Dominican Cultural Association of Yonkers, Inc. (DCAY), which is dedicated to providing educational and cultural programs for Latinos in the city. Terrero is particularly proud of the group’s arts and crafts programs for children ages 9 to 14 and the immigration assistance the association has given to more than 1,000 Yonkers residents.
In 2006 Terrero was appointed to his first position in Yonkers government, the board of the Yonkers Community Development Agency. In 2009, he was elected to the Yonkers City Council, and was elected Council Majority Leader in 2012 by his fellow council members. After losing his campaign for re-election, he returned to city government. In 2017, he resigned from his city position to run once again for his former Council seat. After losing that race, he again returned to work for the City.
In addition to his work in government, DCAY, and other civic groups, Terrero is an active member of the Yonkers Democratic Party. He is the District 8 ward leader.
Political Strategy, the Oquendo-Thomas Firing, and the Issues in the Campaign
As the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate, Terrero has an advantage over Oquendo-Thomas when it comes to fundraising, organization and endorsements. He knows the endorsements do not guarantee success. He believes that his deep roots in the community and proven track will be the deciding factors.
Terrero distanced himself from the political decision to fire Oquendo-Thomas. He said the decision was made by John Rubbo, the City Council Majority leader, and that even though he was a Ward leader in the Party, he was not consulted on the decision before it was made.
When I asked him about whether he thought the decision was unfair because he is allowed to stay in his city job and to run at the same time, he didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he said that the City Charter made it clear that the Majority Leader has the authority to hire and fire all legislative aides. Although he never exercised that power himself when he served as Majority Leader, he respected the right of any Majority Leader who does exercise that power.
When I asked him about why he resigned from his city job to run for the city council in 2017 but didn’t resign this year to run for county legislator, he said that back then he was prohibited from seeking elected office under the federal law known as the Hatch Act. He said that there is no requirement that he resign to run for Westchester County legislator this year. (The Hatch Act prohibits candidates who are paid with federal funds from running for political office at the same time.)
In our conversation, Terrero wanted to talk about the issues and not the Oquendo-Thomas firing. He stated: “My focus is to reduce the cost of living and improve the quality of life for all Yonkers residents, because everyone deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. Hard work should pay off, no matter who you are or where you live.”
He listed affordability, infrastructure, public safety and public transportation as his major legislative priorities.
As a landlord, Terrero said he’s learned that you must work with your tenants and understand their struggles. It’s a “give and take” relationship. Setting rents sometimes requires compromise based on a good tenant’s economic circumstances. He said he understands what affordability means, and he believes the same principles of give and take are applicable to politics. You need to have clear goals, but must also compromise in order to make incremental progress in reaching your political objectives.
Winning the Primary
Terrero’s endorsements include Mayor Mike Spano, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, State Assembly Member Nader Sayegh, and many municipal unions. He presents himself as a pragmatic candidate aligned with the current Democratic leadership structure in Yonkers and Westchester County.
Yet institutional support does not guarantee victory. Terrero has lost before, despite backing from Party insiders, and this race may ultimately hinge on whether Democratic voters are comfortable with the Party establishment’s heavy-handed tactics.
The firing of Oquendo-Thomas introduced a deeper political question into the campaign: Are the voters ready to push back against the influence of the local party machine?
That tension may define not only this primary, but the broader direction of Yonkers Democratic Party politics over the next several years. If Terrero wins comfortably, it will reinforce the strength of the existing political structure. If the race is unexpectedly close — or if Oquendo-Thomas pulls off an upset — it could signal growing frustration among Democratic voters and foreshadow larger political battles ahead.
