Tatiana Brahimi Gets Conservative Nod for County Executive

Tatiana Brahimi

By Holly Crocco

The race for county executive just got a little more heated, with the Putnam County Conservative Party Executive Committee announcing Friday afternoon that it has changed its endorsement and is now unanimously backing Tatiana Brahimi for the county’s top seat.

“This decision was neither hurried nor made lightly,” wrote Secretary Theresa Votano in a statement on behalf of the committee. “After careful deliberation, the committee concluded that Tatiana, a registered Conservative who affirmatively sought our endorsement, best represents the principles and values of our party. We further believe that she can, and will, win this election.”

The race was already interesting enough, with Democrat Brett Yarris challenging incumbent Republican Kevin Byrne – who the Conservative Party passed on this year, instead announcing its backing of its own Party Chairman William Spain in March.

However, the executive committee further shook things up Friday by throwing its weight behind Brahimi.

The Carmel resident made waves in 2021 when she accused the Carmel Central School District of “emotionally abusing” children by teaching them “communist values,” she declared at a school board meeting. She claimed the district was allowing teachers to promote the Black Lives Matter movement, an LGBTQ agenda, and anti-police viewpoints while also indoctrinating children.

Brahimi further accused teachers of discriminating against religious students and promoting a cancel culture against those students.

“You created a curriculum of Black Panther indoctrination – you’re teaching your children to go out and murder police officers,” she told the board. “You’re emotionally and mentally abusing our children and demoralizing them by teaching them Communist values. This is still America.”

Brahimi is extremely outspoken on social media, as well, where her 18,000-plus followers on Facebook (where she goes by Tatiana Ibrahim) engage in much political dialogue.

In an Aug. 13 post, she issued a call for Putnam County to “wake up.”

“Does anyone else in Putnam County actually see what is going on with this county executive election?” she wrote. “On one side, we have Kevin Byrne, who lost the Conservative line and is now pursuing the Libertarian line. That raises a very simple question for me: What has actually been accomplished for Putnam County during his time in office?”

Then she turned her focus to Yarris.

“Brett has expressed and participated in support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and that is something voters have every right to consider when deciding whether his political philosophy aligns with theirs,” she wrote. “I also have concerns about policies that I believe would expand government spending, increase the burden on taxpayers, and potentially make our communities less safe.”

Brahimi said that when it comes to public safety, she wants candidates to explain exactly where they stand.

“Are we going to support law enforcement and ICE and hold criminals accountable, or are we going to adopt policies that make it harder for police to do their jobs and easier for criminals to take advantage of the system?” she asked. “It was obvious when our imitation of the Declaration of Independence was vandalized, neither candidate fought for accountability.”

Brahimi said Putnam needs leadership with a backbone.

“We need someone willing to make difficult decisions, protect taxpayers, address public safety, control government spending, protect the character of our communities, and actually listen to the people who live here – not just the people who can help them politically,” she wrote.

The Conservative Party running its own candidate could take votes away from Byrne, thus making way for Yarris rise up victorious.

“If you are worried about splitting the vote, then maybe the answer isn’t telling voters who they’re supposed to vote for,” wrote Brahimi. “Maybe the answer is putting forward candidates who actually earn people’s votes.”

The candidate’s LinkedIn page, where she is listed as Tanya Brahimi, identifies her as a “government relations professional,” with Wells Fargo as her current employer. She attended Mercy University, studying corporate homeland security and national security.

Brahimi was unable to be reached between the time the Conservative Party released its statement, and press time.

Shortly after the endorsement was announced, Byrne released a statement criticizing the Conservative Party and its politicking.

“From my very first time seeking public office, I made it clear that I would never be a rubber stamp for any political party or party structure,” he said. “I will never trade my principles, my record, or my commitment to Putnam County for political power. I will not ‘bend the knee’ in exchange for a party’s blessing – especially when that party has become so blatantly compromised by backroom politics and self-serving deals.”

Byrne said the Conservative Party’s decision to remove Spain from its line and “replace him with a grossly unqualified candidate exposes exactly the kind of dirty political dealing New Yorkers are sick of… This appears to be the latest effort to split the conservative vote and ultimately help surrender Putnam County to the same radical political forces that have seized control of New York City,” he said.

The political maneuvering goes back months.

Byrne alleges that earlier this year, County Attorney Compton Spain (who is William Spain’s brother and who was appointed by Byrne in 2022) shared with him that Democratic Party Chairwoman Jennifer Colamonico had “offered” him re-nomination as county attorney if he assisted Yarris.

Colamonico quickly denied the allegation.

“That is 100 percent false,” she commented. “I have never met with him, nor do I have the power or inclination to offer such a thing. Can’t blame this on us. They say when you point a finger at someone you have three fingers pointing back at yourself.”

Byrne also accused a member of the Conservative Party’s Executive Committee of running Yarris’ campaign.

“At some point, you have to call this what it is: the leadership of the Putnam County Conservative Party has been completely compromised by a political class working to advance a big-government Democratic candidate for county executive,” he said.

“I would rather lose a political party line than sell out the taxpayers I represent or compromise the conservative, limited-government principles that have guided my administration: cutting taxes, reducing debt, supporting law enforcement, protecting individual liberty, and making government more accountable,” continued Byrne. “I didn’t run for county executive to serve party bosses. I ran to serve the people of Putnam County. They – not political insiders or backroom dealmakers – will decide who their next county executive is.”