Mount Kisco’s Picinich to Run for Re-election as a Democrat
Mount Kisco Mayor Gina Picinich will run for re-election in November and will appear on at least one different political line.
Picinch, who pulled off an upset of former longtime mayor Michael Cindrich in 2017, has received the backing of the Democratic Party. She will be on the ballot with incumbent Peter Grunthal and first-time candidate and former village prosecutor David Squirrell.
Two years ago, Picinich managed to win the mayor’s seat by running solely on the independent 4MK line with Trustee Isi Albanese. She defeated Cindrich who appeared on five lines, receiving endorsements from both Democrats and Republicans.
Albanese said he will decide over the next month whether to seek a second two-year term. However, because he would once again be an independent candidate, the petition period doesn’t begin until Apr. 16, 12 days after the deadline for all major party hopefuls. The deadline for filing independent petitions is May 28.
On Monday, Picinich confirmed that she would be on the ballot as a Democrat although she did not completely rule out another appearance on 4MK.
“I’m a Democrat, I’ve always been a Democrat and I will definitely take the place on the Democratic ticket,” she said.
The first 15 months of Picinich’s term has been punctuated with gains large and small. In January, the Village Board approved an update of the Comprehensive Plan, the first time the document was revised in nearly 20 years. But there have been smaller changes, including a commitment for more community events, a greater emphasis on the local arts and sprucing up the downtown.
“I believe, most importantly, that the leadership that I’ve brought to this has helped to engage others and I think we’re having some success,” Picinich said. “I think we’re having some real success as a community and we should continue on this path, and so again, it’s entirely up to this community and if they feel today Mount Kisco is a great place to live and they want it to continue and give me the honor to continue on, I’d very much like to do it.”
Democratic Committee Chairman William Serratore said that Picinich reached out to the committee to inquire about the nomination. The members discussed her potential candidacy and agreed to back her, he said.
Serratore called the ticket well-balanced with each of the three candidates having broad experience professionally and in public service.
Grunthal, the longest serving Village Board member in terms of combined service, also cited the Comprehensive Plan update and some of the upcoming plans to inject some change downtown by potentially developing the South and North Moger parking lots.
“All of that is very exciting and I wanted to finish the job that I started,” he said.
Grunthal was first appointed in 2003 to fill a vacancy and served until 2010. After the death of trustee George Griffin in 2014, he returned through appointment to fill the seat and has since twice been re-elected.
Squirrell, a first-time candidate who in addition to a stint as village prosecutor also served as deputy village attorney, said he considered a candidacy previously but the time wasn’t right for him.
He also cited the possibility of exciting changes downtown, preserving parkland and open space and wanting to be part of a highly transparent local government as some of his top issues.
“I think we should all work to keep continuing to make Mount Kisco a destination, where people want to live here and also to own and operate a business,” Squirrell said.
Other than the possibility of Albanese running as an independent, Serratore said he was currently unaware of any other potential challengers.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
