Peter Harckham

Peter Harckham (born 1959) is a communications professional and American Democratic politician from New York’s Hudson Valley. He currently represents Westchester County’s 2nd Legislative District, encompassing all of northeastern Westchester. The district includes Bedford, Lewisboro, Mt. Kisco, Pound Ridge, North Salem and Somers.
Harckham is also the President of Harckham Media Group, LLC, specializing in advertising, strategic communications and media production.
Political Career and Background
Harckham was elected to the Westchester County Board of Legislators in November 2007, receiving almost 6,000 votes. He currently serves on the Budget & Appropriations, Legislation, Government Operations, Environment & Energy, Public Safety, and Security committees, as well as the Special Committee on Internal Controls and Procedures. He is also a member of the Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, the Stimulus Task Force and the Subcommittee on Women & Minority Owned Businesses, and serves as the founding Chair of the Board of Legislators Septic Subcommittee of the Committee on Environment and Energy. The Septic Subcommittee is comprised of stakeholders in the formulation of septic policy that will protect fragile water supplies.
Harckham was reelected to the Westchester County Board of Legislators in November 2009, increasing his vote total by 15% over his 2007 election.
Prior to his election to the Board of Legislators, Harckham served for four years as President of A-HOME, a northern Westchester-based non-profit organization that advocates for affordable housing within the community. Under his leadership, A-HOME’s fundraising, management systems and corporate communications were dramatically improved, and the group oversaw the construction of new affordable housing units in Croton Falls, Bedford Hills, Chappaqua, and most recently, twelve units of senior housing in the Town of Pound Ridge. Harckham was also instrumental in securing the donation of a four-acre parcel of land for housing in Lewisboro for emergency first responders, such as police and firefighters.
Pete Harckham also served from 1992 to 2005 as vice chair of the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, a San Francisco-based private foundation that supports the sustainable management of natural resources, the reduction of harmful toxins from the environment, and promotion of the arts and environmental education.
Harckham began his career in 1983 as a Madison Avenue communications professional, working for major advertising agencies for 10 years before starting Harckham Media Group, LLC. He currently serves as the group’s president.
He and his wife, Janet, live in Katonah, New York, with their two daughters, Emma and Kate. Together, Peter and Janet own and manage K&E Farms, a small horse farm, and regularly raise funds and awareness for several area non-profits, including the Westchester Land Trust. His wife, Janet, serves on the Katonah-Lewisboro School District Board of Education.
Legislative Achievements
Since taking office in 2008, Harckham has quickly compiled an array of legislative victories across a broad policy spectrum, garnering particular recognition as a leader on water quality protection, environmental issues, and as an independent voice for fiscal discipline on the Board of Legislators.
Water & Environment
An ardent environmentalist, Pete Harckham has focused extensive energy on protecting the fragile drinking water supplies that service both northern Westchester and the New York City watershed. As the founding Chair of the Septic Subcommittee, he is leading critical negotiations between the county, municipalities, New York State and New York City regarding formulation and implementation of new MS4 Septic Requirements. By safeguarding the county water supply, he has helped protect property values in towns and municipalities throughout Westchester.
Harckham successfully led the effort to release $10 million of New York City DEP funds to the Town of North Salem for badly needed sewers for Peach Lake to replace failing septic systems threatening the New York City drinking water supply. He has also worked to establish Westchester County’s first countywide septic database, and passed groundbreaking legislation restricting phosphorus in lawn fertilizer.
Budget & Finance
As a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, he worked to help close a $46 million budget shortfall, while working to meet a 30% increase in the demand for county safety net services. He also cosponsored legislation granting property tax breaks to volunteer emergency first responders and veterans, and made important investments in foreclosure and eviction prevention while fighting to keep property taxes down.
Families & Quality of Life

Harckham introduced and secured passage of legislation to toughen DWI penalties in Westchester County, and fought to pass “Social Host” legislation to protect underaged teens from parties where alcohol is served. He also sponsored a bill authorizing emergency appropriations for mortgage foreclosure prevention, saving over 250 Westchester families from foreclosure.

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