William Wagstaff officially drops bid for Westchester DA, citing Democratic Party unity

William Wagstaff III will not stay in the race for Westchester District Attorney , announcing Friday that he was declining to run as the candidate of the Working Families Party.

Wagstaff, a civil rights lawyer who lost the Democratic primary to Susan Cacace last week , cited party unity for ending his bid to become Westchester’s first Black DA.

“I respect the will of the voters of Westchester County,” Wagstaff said in a statement issued by his campaign. “With the future of our democracy on the ballot this November, it is more important than ever to ensure every Democrat in Westchester County is voting for our President, Joe Biden.

"Splitting votes in this critical election year after the Supreme Court of the United States has begun rolling back decades of civil rights advancements makes me uneasy as a Democrat, but more importantly, as a parent of three children."

The Working Families party had nominated Wagstaff in the spring and has until Tuesday to decide if they will field a different candidate in the November election. If no one is added, the race to succeed Mimi Rocah as DA will be between Cacace and Republican John Sarcone .

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: William Wagstaff officially drops bid for Westchester DA, citing Democratic Party unity