Election 2025: Democrats sweep all local contests

By MARTIN WILBUR, NEAL RENTZ, JEFF MORRIS and THANE GRAUEL

Reflecting results seen across the country in midterm elections, Democrats swept to victory in every contested local race on Tuesday. Not only were Democratic incumbents reelected by large margins, but several sitting Republicans were ousted from their seats.

Mount Kisco

The most closely contested races were in Mount Kisco, where early voting played a crucial role in the results.

While incumbent Mayor J. Michael Cindrich ran unopposed on the Republican and Village Inclusive Party lines, his running mates on those lines, incumbents Theresa Flora and Angie Garcia-Guerra, were defeated by Democratic challengers Tammy Brown and Heather Bryant in the race for two seats on the Village Board.

As of Tuesday night, the county’s vote tally was still showing Flora and Garcia-Guerra ahead. But in early voting, Brown and Bryant had racked up 580 and 578 votes, respectively, to Flora’s 384 and Guerra’s 350, more than enough to overcome the incumbents’ Election Day totals.

Final unofficial results show Bryant leading with 1,222 votes, or 28%; Brown right behind, with 1,212 votes, also 28%; Flora with 1,020, or 23%; and Garcia-Guerra with 947 votes, or 22%.

Brown and Bryant thanked their supporters and the village’s Democratic Committee for backing them while they worked hard to connect with voters and get out the vote. “Going forward, I’m committed to be a new voice for the village,” Brown said at Hotel MTK where the Democrats awaited the results. “I’m determined to work to bring tax dollars back to Mount Kisco, support a plan for community policing and listen to our seniors, among other things, and together we can move Mount Kisco forward.”

Mount Kisco Democrats Tammy Brown, left, and Heather Bryant speak to supporters after they claimed victory Tuesday night. 

“Thank you all for your friendship, for your knowledge, and let’s change the tone and get to work,” Bryant said.

The victory means Democrats have won back the majority on the board. They will join Democratic Committee Chairperson Tom Luzio, who has another year left on his term. Trustee Karen Schleimer, who was not up for reelection, is a Democrat but resigned from the committee last year after a fallout over the party’s direction. 

The mood was much different at the incumbents’ headquarters at the American Legion Hall, where Flora and Garcia-Guerra were tallying the results with Cindrich. Two years ago they swept into office, helped by their pledge to protect Leonard Park, where a cell tower relocation was being explored. 

“It’s difficult for us. We had a very small group of people, basically just the two of us and little funds, but we’re OK. We’re still residents here and we’ll still be involved, and there’s a sense of relief for me. I put a lot; I put 100% in it and it’s tough.” She added that she was proud of their accomplishments, notably prohibiting battery energy storage systems in the village. 

Garcia-Guerra acknowledged that this time, running on the Republican line along with the  Village Inclusive Party line may have cost them, in a year where Democrats across the nation had a big night. In 2023, they won the election appearing only on the VIP line. She also decried that they were up against the Democratic “machine,” which, she said, they ultimately couldn’t compete against. 

After nearly a year of frequent arguments with the mayor since he was elected in 2024, Luzio said he was confident the new Democratic majority will be able to work with Cindrich and make sure all residents are served regardless of who they supported in the election. “I’m looking forward to working with Mike,” Luzio said. “How many times have I said that? It hasn’t worked out the way I hoped, but I’m positive we can work with Mike Cindrich. We didn’t run anybody against him and we did that because we believe we can work with him.” 

The unopposed Cindrich received 1,370 votes — 805 on the Republican line, and 565 on the VIP line. Also running unopposed was Town Justice Anthony Markus, who received 1,585 votes on the Democratic line.

Lewisboro

Lewisboro Councilwoman Mary Shah, left, was reelected to a council seat and Julia Hadlock won her first term on the board. 

The lone Republican on the Lewisboro Town Board, Andrea Rendo, was ousted on Tuesday as incumbent Mary Shah and first-time candidate Julia Hadlock, both Democrats, each had over 1,000 votes more than their opponents in the four-way race for two Town Board seats.

In unofficial results, Hadlock led all candidates with 2,615 votes — 2,410 on the Democratic line and 205 on the Working Families line — or 32%. Shah also had 32%, with a 2,607-vote total split between 2,404 Democratic and 203 Working Families. Rendo came in third, with 1,593 votes, or 19%. 1,493 of her votes were on the Republican line, and 161 on the Conservative line. Behind her was Adam Giardina at 18%, with 1,290 Republican and 163 Conservative votes, for a total of 1,453. 

Supervisor Tony Gonçalves was unchallenged, receiving 2,765 Democratic and 307 Working Families votes, a total of 3,072.

Receiver of Taxes Deirdre Casper was also unopposed, and led all vote-getters with 4,056 votes on three lines: 2,727 Democratic, 1,191 Republican, and 138 Conservative.

At Taconah Cantina in Goldens Bridge on Tuesday night, Shah thanked her supporters and family members.

“I’m grateful that the town recognized that I work for them and hope to continue to make a difference for all of Lewisboro,” she told The Recorder. Shah said she was proud of the work of the Town Board. 

Hadlock, a former Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education trustee and president, said the Town Board would work to put out the facts about town government and would fight misinformation. “We are going to be working hard for the people,” she said. 

Goncalves, completing his eighth year on the Town Board and fourth as supervisor, said he was gratified by the voters’ support of the Democrats. 

Messages left on Election Night for Rendo and Giardina were not returned. 

Pound Ridge

Pound Ridge Town Board member Diane Briggs gets a celebratory hug on election night. 

Supervisor Kevin Hansan and his two Town Board Democratic running mates fended off a challenge Tuesday by John McCown of the Pound Ridge Party and two of his running mates.

Pound Ridge Party hopefuls Peter Avellino and Ron Asaro had challenged incumbent Democrats Diane Briggs and Daniel Paschkes. All the Democrats held their seats.

According to unofficial results from the Westchester County Board of Elections, Hansan received 1,108 votes, or 63%, to McCown’s 643, or 37%.

Briggs led all candidates with 1,115 votes, or 32%. Paschkes followed with 1,080, or 31%. Asaro and Avellino had nearly identical 18% totals—Asaro with 629 votes, Avellino with 626.

Before all the results were in, Hansan told supporters gathered at the Kitchen Table in Scotts Corners that a voting machine had broken and ballots were being counted by hand. Still, he said, the numbers were favorable, “even stronger than last time.”

“First thing I’m doing is getting rid of this,” he said, tearing his concession speech in half. He went on with a long list of thanks.

“This victory is really just so encouraging,” Hansan said. “We’re so thankful as a group here, humbled to be here and know that we got this kind of support from people all around.”

“What’s next is we go forward,” Hansan told The Recorder later. “I think the residents of Pound Ridge have told us they support the Water District, and they’re tired of the negativity ... they’re behind clean water.”

McCown issued this statement: “Thank you to the residents of Pound Ridge who voted for us. Thank you to those who did not support us, but showed up and voted to keep democracy alive. Special thanks to our team who committed to and delivered a fact-based campaign and to everyone who shares our vision for a financially sound, vibrant future for the town we love.”

Two other Democrats ran unopposed: Renée Motola received 1,298 votes for Town Justice, and Drifa Segal received 1,330 votes for receiver of taxes.

Bedford

There were no contested races in Bedford. Supervisor Ellen Calves was reelected with 2,780 votes on the Democratic line and 237 on Working Families, for a total of 3,017 votes. Council member Stephanie McCaine was reelected with 2,943 votes — 2,708 Democratic and 235 Working Families. First time candidate Midge Iorio, running to replace Andrés Castillo, who decided not to run again, picked up 2,736 votes on the Democratic line.

Also on the ballot were incumbent Town Clerk Allie Whalen, who amassed 2,800 Democratic and 253 Working Families votes, for a total of 3,053; and incumbent Town Justice Jodi Kimmel, whose 2,821 Democratic votes and 204 Working Families totaled 3,025.

County legislator and county executive

Incumbent District 2 Legislator Erika Pierce was easily reelected, beating her opponent, Braille Diaz, 68% to 32%. Pierce had 9,521 votes on the Democratic line and 688 on Working Families, for a total of 10,209. Diaz had 4,494 on the Republican line and 385 on the Conservative line, a 4,879-vote total. 

The district covers Bedford, Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, Mount Kisco, North Salem and a portion of Somers. Pierce lives in Katonah.

In the county executive race, incumbent Democrat Ken Jenkins beat Republican Christine Sculti for the second time this year, as the two had faced off in February in a special election to fill the remainder of former County Executive George Latimer’s term after his election to Congress. This time, Jenkins was elected to a full four-year term with 120,751 votes to Sculti’s 57,199, for a two-to-one margin of 68% to 32%. That bested his February showing, when he received 61% of the vote to 39% for Sculti.

Propositions

In Bedford, a proposition to fund the town’s three libraries separately from the town budget received 3,001 votes for and 756 against, according to unofficial totals — an overwhelming 80% to 20%. 

The proposition asked Bedford voters whether or not to approve $2,628,845 in annual funding for the operating budgets of the town’s three libraries. This public support will be guaranteed in future years and will replace the town’s current budget appropriation.

By contrast, a statewide ballot referendum to allow an Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on Adirondack State Forest Preserve Land passed by a much narrower margin, with 1,895,861 votes for and 1,750,855 votes against. In Westchester, it passed easily, 57% to 43%.