Campaign season for local offices kicks into gear

By THE RECORDER STAFF

Voters in Pound Ridge, Lewisboro, Bedford and Mount Kisco will have the opportunity to elect representatives ranging from town justice to the county executive on Nov. 4.

All supervisor and town/village board seats come with two-year terms.

Following is a high-level summary of the races and candidates. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, The Recorder will provide more detailed campaign coverage, publishing candidate profiles and questionnaires designed to elicit their positions on key local issues.

The League of Women Voters offers a comprehensive online tool people can use to see all the candidates and ballot questions in their area, as well as their polling place. For more information, visit vote411.org.

Pound Ridge

Pound Ridge is the only town in The Recorder’s area where the top job — town supervisor — is up for grabs.

Democrat Kevin Hansan, who is in his eighth year as supervisor, is challenged by John McCown of the Pound Ridge Party. The Pound Ridge Party has said its candidates come from various political backgrounds, including Democrats, Republicans and independents. 

The Pound Ridge Party also is fielding two candidates for Town Board, Peter Avellino and Ron Asaro, who are challenging incumbent Democrats Diane Briggs and Daniel  Paschkes.

Hansan’s team says that it has delivered balanced budgets and secured $11 million in grants to fund improvements and revitalized the business district, and has concentrated on maintaining and acquiring town properties.

The Pound Ridge Party has questioned financial reporting, including a recent state audit that found flaws, what it calls a lack of transparency on issues affecting the public, and has said the administration has not done due diligence on matters involving taxes.

Running unopposed for receiver of taxes is Drifa Segal, a Democrat. Also running unopposed for Town Justice is Democratic incumbent Renee Motola.

The League of Women Voters of New Castle will host a virtual Candidate Forum for the Pound Ridge election Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. The forum will be conducted via Zoom. To register, visit http://bit.ly/46qXIBk. 

Mount Kisco

First-term incumbents Theresa Flora and Angie Garcia-Guerra will face first-time Democratic political candidates Tammy Brown and Heather Bryant in the Village Board election.

Key issues in this year’s election include pedestrian safety and walkability as the village is in the midst of pursuing county, state, and federal grants; protecting the village from battery energy systems and proliferation of telecommunication facilities; and helping the community’s recreational facilities.

Flora and Garcia-Guerra two years ago swept into office running solely on the independent Village Inclusive Party line with Mayor J. Michael Cindrich when they hit the Democratic incumbents hard for exploring the possibility of relocating a proposed cell tower to a remote portion of Leonard Park.

They will appear this year on the ballot as Republicans in addition to the VIP line. Cindrich, who is finishing his first term as mayor since his return after a six-year absence, will run unopposed. Cindrich formerly served for 14 years in the mayor’s office, ending in 2017.

Town Justice Anthony Markus, a former Village Board member, is running unopposed for a third term on the bench.

Bedford

In Bedford, the election is uncontested, with only Democratic candidates on the ballot. 

Supervisor Ellen Calves, Town Board member Stephanie McCaine and Town Justice Jodi Kimmel have all served in their positions since 2022. Town Clerk Alexandra Whalen was appointed to fill the position in April 2024, after Lisbeth Fumagalli stepped down, and was elected to fill the remainder of that term in November.

The only new candidate is Midge Iorio, running for the Town Board seat now held by Andrés Castillo, who chose not to run for another term. 

Calves lists her priorities as affordability, housing, resiliency and sustainability. She boasts of maintaining the town’s AAA bond rating, keeping the budget under the tax cap, and securing grants for downtown improvements in Bedford Hills.

In March, Bedford Republican Chair Michael Palladino told The Recorder that “unchecked one-party rule stifles debate, weakens accountability, and shuts out diverse perspectives” but did not offer any candidates for town office.

Lewisboro

Lewisboro Supervisor Tony Gonçalves, in office for four years, is unchallenged. He is on the Democratic and Working Party lines of the ballot.

On the Town Board, incumbent Democrat Mary Shah and incumbent Republican Andrea Rendo are seeking reelection; also running for those seats are Democrat Julia Hadlock and Republican Adam Giardina. Hadlock and Shah also are on the Working Families line. Rendo and Giardina also are on the Conservative Party line.

Receiver of Taxes Deirdre Casper, who is on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative party lines, is unchallenged.

Lewisboro is in the process of moving town offices from the former Lewisboro Elementary School. While the Town Board has approved purchase of an office building, leaders will still have to find homes for police headquarters and the town court. Water quality is also an ongoing issue in town.

County races

Incumbent County Executive Kenneth Jenkins, a Democrat, is being challenged by Christine Sculti, a Republican.

District 2 County Legislator Erika Pierce, on the Democratic and Working Families lines, is challenged by Sheila Marcotte, a Republican.

The county clerk seat is sought by Thomas Roach, on the Democratic and Working Families lines, and Sheila Marcotte, a Republican.

Erin M. McGoey, a Democrat, and Joseph Farca, a Republican, are running for County Court judge.

Brandon Sall, a Democrat, is unopposed in the race for surrogate court judge.