Sack Currently Uncontested in 2013 Mayoral Election

This article was originally posted on July 24, 2013, when Sack was unofficially uncontested. Two independent candidates are now challenging Sack, Councilman and Deputy Mayor Peter Jovanovich and local resident and business woman, co-CEO of Archie Comics, Nancy Silberkleit. 

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The Rye City Democratic Committee has announced its candidates for two of four open seats on the Rye City Council, Shari Punyon and Meg Cameron. Both are running as candidates for city council members seats, which means the Dems are not challenging Republican Joe Sack in his run for city mayor, leaving him uncontested. A challenger could still step forward though; the deadline for independent nomination petitions is Aug. 20, so an independent candidate could still run for mayor.

The Democratic Committee circulated petitions with a slate of its district leaders as placeholder names on the petitions while it interviewed and vetted candidates earlier this summer, Committee Leader Rod Brown said in June. Under New York State election law, Punyon and Cameron’s names must be filed in July, a deadline the Committee has now met. Read the RCDC’s full press release on Punyon and Cemeron here.

"We were out in front early on when we took the lead in announcing our full complement of bi-partisan 'Rye United' candidates in Kirstin Bucci, Terry McCartney and Julie Killian," Sack told Patch today. 

"We were quick to identify the need to promote the ideals of integrity and accountability, financial oversight and control, openness and transparency, communication and cooperation, and common sense and good judgment. Even though the Democrats were ultimately only able to field a partial slate of candidates, I welcome Ms. Cameron and Ms. Punyon to the race, especially since they seem to echo our team’s ideals.  However, I continue to believe that our complete “Rye United” team is best positioned to work together, in order to get Rye back on track, and to restore confidence in the way that our government is run."

Four council members’ terms will end this fall – city council incumbents Peter Jovanovich, Julie Killian and Richard Filippi and incumbent Mayor French. Jovanovich and Filippi are not running for re-election. 

Sack, who spoke as a voice independent of fellow Republicans Jovanovich and French over the last year, is running for mayor on the Rye Republican Committee’s “Rye United” ticket. Killian, also a Republican, is running for her first full term on that ticket – she was appointed to fill Suzanna Keith’s position last summer. Also on the ticket are political newcomers Terry McCartney, a Republican, and Kristen Bucci, a Democrat. More on them here. 

Jason Mehler, had planned to run on the Democratic party line but since he was not selected by the Committee he will run on the Independence Party line, he said today. Read more on Mehler here.

P. Steven Lamont was also seeking a Democratic nomination, but says he was blocked from it by local party leaders, so he is no longer running. Read more on him here. 

If Sack is uncontested or wins his bid for mayor and if current Councilwoman Catherine Parker wins her bid for County Legislator this election cycle, their two seats on the council would be open come Jan. 1, 2014 when they take their new offices. The mayor would then need to appoint people to fill the two empty council seats, which is what happened last summer when Killian was appointed to fill Suzanna Ketih’s seat when Keith moved away.

Parker faces former Democratic Mamaroneck Trustee Tom Murphy in the primary for the District 7 County Legislator election. Incumbent Legislator Judy Meyers tagged Parker to succeed her before Murphy announced his intentions to run.

Councilwoman Laura Brett was elected in 2011 and has two more years on her term.

Stay with Patch as the election draws nearer. 

How do you think this year's election slates are looking? Tell us in the comments.

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*Editor's note: This article was changed from its original version to reflect that three council seats are up for election this year.