Phil Reisman

Not long ago, Dave Spano was riding high.

He seemingly came out of nowhere to served as a TV pitchman for weekly publisher Sam Zherka’s campaign to abolish Westchester County government.

As sensational as that was, the 49-year-old self-described “disabled American worker” then announced his candidacy to run for county executive against his longtime incumbent dad, Andy Spano. Along the way, he was allowed to give a speech at the Democratic Party convention at the County Center.

That turned out to be high water mark of his unusual campaign.

He had a falling out with Zherka. He had no money. And quickly, he found out how hard it was to mount a legitimate challenge.

Today, Dave Spano called to tell me that he had thrown in the towel. He said he didn’t get the required number of signatures to secure a line on the November ballot as an independent.

“It was going quite well,” he said. “I was on track to really get on the ballot qite easily. “I have 1,000 signatures and I stopped two or three days ago. I just stopped for various reasons.”

This did not come as a total surprise. However, only a couple of weeks ago, Spano called to tell me how well things were going, despite the fact that he had broken his cell phone in the shower.

“The petition drive is going quite well,” he said on Aug. 4. “It looks as if I’m easily going to easily be on he ballot.”

He said the people he met on the street were receptive to his candidacy.

“I’m getting an unbelievable response,” he said. “I’m so excited and full of energy and self-esteem and all those wonderful good things.”

A week later, he was experiencing problems. “My signature drive is difficult,” he reported.

He said he was experiencing painful symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Calling from a shopping center in New Rochelle where he was gathering signatures, he said, “I’m doing it all alone—and I can’t hold a clipboard.”

Sounding upbeat despite his aborted campaign, Spano said he wasn’t “out of the game.”

“I’m going to set my sights on, I think, bigger—well, other things,” he said.

He made a little joke. “I’m going to stay very active,” he said. “Not radio active, just active.”

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