Now throwing their hats in the ring are Braille Diaz and John Mullen, who've confirmed that they will run as a team on the independent Village Inclusive Party line.
(There are no Republican candidates.)
The young challengers told The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times on Sunday, May 26, that while they’ve already secured enough signatures on their nominating petitions, they planned to continue circulating them. The filing deadline is Tuesday, May 28.
Last November, VIP candidates for mayor and two trustee spots – Michael Cindrich and Theresa Flora and Angie Garcia-Guerra respectively -- stunned political insiders by sweeping the Democrats.
(Cindrich had served 14 years as mayor before being ousted in 2017 by Gina Picinich. Flora and Garcia-Guerra were newcomers.)
They beat then-deputy mayor Lisa Abzun, who had sought the mayor’s position, as well as incumbent Trustee Karine Patiño and hopeful Jean Farber. Abzun stayed on as trustee but is not seeking re-election this go-round.
Mount Kisco native Mullen, the 26-year-old co-proprietor of the brand-new Blue Heron Tea & Coffee shop, said that he and Diaz, who is 23, have been warmly received by the community.
“People are excited to see fresh, new faces” running for public office, he said, adding that Diaz is a “great running mate” and that together they hope to bring about significant change.
Prior to opening the Kirby Plaza biz with Matthew Paratore, Mullen was an assistant manager with Mount Kisco Seafood on Lexington Avenue.
So he knows full well the challenges that small businesses are facing nowadays.
Mullen said he decided to run in response to what he perceives is a continued lack of action on the village’s part relative to issues such as public intoxication and homelessness. Diaz added the overcrowded housing situation to that list.
Mullen, who has also worked in lease management and as a sales intern, earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, and operations at Quinnipiac University.
Born in White Plains, Diaz moved to Mount Kisco with his family when he was five.
After graduating from Fox Lane High School in 2019, he went on to attend a Catholic seminary school and study philosophy in Rome.
Diaz eventually returned to Mount Kisco where he now acts as a “self-employed community representative,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
Appointed to the village’s Ethics Board this past February, he also is proud of his roles as a former counselor advocate for the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, as an intern with the Westchester County Board of Legislators, the Town of Bedford Court, and the New York State Senate.
After advocating for religious displays such as menorahs and creches in the village after they’d faced some opposition on the Village Board, Diaz said he was moved to take a deeper dive into local politics.
Diaz said he was also inspired by the “compassion” of his late mentor, Mel Berger, tireless volunteer and founder of the Mount Kisco Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Council and the village’s Drug Court. It was Berger’s desire to help the homeless that led to the establishment of the Emergency Shelter Partnership.
Being at the beginning of their adult lives, Diaz said he and Mullen both want to “have a future in Mount Kisco.”
“In order to do that, we have to take action,” he said.
Mullen echoed that thought.
“The young blood needs to come in and shake it up a little,” he said.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0