New Castle Dems Announce 2017 Town Board Candidates

CHAPPAQUA, NY — The New Castle Democratic Committee has chosen a slate of three candidates to run for Town Board in November in a bid to return the town to Democratic control.

The candidates were introduced on the steps of Town Hall in Chappaqua at 11 a.m. and will be at the annual NCDC dinner this evening.

Kristen Browde leads the slate of candidates, all of whom are members of Up2Us, a group created from the group Chappaqua Friends of Hillary. Joining her on the New Castle Democratic ticket are local attorney Gail Merkels and business owner and management consultant Ivy Pool, who are both running for seats on the town board.

“Not only is each candidate extremely well qualified, but the collective skills of this team will keep New Castle strong,” said Karen La Porta, co-chair of the New Castle Democratic Committee. “We are very proud of this slate.”

Browde is the first transgender candidate in the state of New York to run with the nomination of a major party, said Peter Moses, an NCDC spokesman. She has been active in local politics since leaving her position at CBS News in 2013. During the run-up to this past November elections, Ms. Browde worked for Hillary Clinton mostly in North Carolina, where Democrats beat incumbents in both the governor and attorney general races.

Browde’s name is familiar to television viewers as an anchor and correspondent at CBS. She previously worked for both WNBC and FOX5. Browde went to Fordham Law while at CBS, and now works as a Family Law attorney serving clients throughout New York state.

Here's the committee's description of the three:

Candidate for Town Supervisor: Kristen Browde

Browde is an attorney and well-known former journalist. She served as Secretary of the Town of New Castle Board of Ethics from inception, resigning last month when she agreed to run for office. Browde continues to serve on both the Chappaqua Central School District’s Financial Advisory Committee and the Town’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

An attorney in private practice, Browde started her professional career as an Emmy-winning reporter and television news anchor, leaving CBS News in 2013 after 17 years at the network.

She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the AFTRA Pension Fund, serving on its Investment Committee, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York. She is a founding member of the Transgender Bar Association.

Browde has lived in New Castle since 2004 and is the proud parent of two sons, one attending Seven Bridges Middle School and the other studying abroad. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Fordham Law.

“My vision for New Castle is one of renewal, of transparent, honest government and responsible management of residents’ tax dollars,” says Browde. “I’m also fully committed to the idea of rebuilding the Democratic Party from the local level up to White Plains and Washington DC.”

Candidate for Town Board: Ivy Pool

Pool is a business owner and management consultant, currently advising non-profits and government agencies on improving outcomes for underserved populations. Pool is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner

Graduate School of Public Service. Previously, Pool served as the Program Director for the New York State Integrated Eligibility System, a program established by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to modernize and streamline access to health and human service programs. Pool also served during all three terms of NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s administration.

Pool has lived in New Castle since 2010. She and her husband have two children who attend Douglas Grafflin Elementary School. Ms. Pool is a graduate of Columbia University and has a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU.

“As a lifelong public servant, I understand how to successfully design and lead large-scale, public-sector projects,” Pool says. “I never expected to run for political office but, like a lot of women, I feel personally motivated by recent political events. I feel a strong responsibility to step up and do my part to improve the services in our hometown, and to drive open, inclusive, and transparent governance in New Castle.”

Candidate for Town Board: Gail Markels

Markels is the President of Markels Strategies, a company that provides legal, trade association management and government affairs services to industry trade associations and businesses. Markels was General Counsel and Senior Vice President for the Entertainment Software Association, where she was a founding employee, as well as Vice President and Counsel to the Motion Picture Association of America. Markels has extensive experience in state and local government affairs and is a subject matter expert in developing certification systems for industry self-regulation. Markels began her career as a prosecutor in the Office of the District Attorney of Kings County. Markels is a graduate of Cornell University and Cardozo Law School.

Markels and her husband, Richard Young, have lived in New Castle for over 25 years and raised two children who graduated from the Chappaqua schools. Markels is co-chair of the Civic Improvement Committee of the Chappaqua Garden Club.

“I have extensive experience working with elected officials from all levels of government to arrive at solutions that address problems in a productive way. I am running for office because I want New Castle to be the kind of community that our children move back to raise their own families,” Markel said. “This means working to a ensure that New Castle continues to have great schools, an open and transparent town government, an inclusive community and a vibrant downtown. The November elections were a wakeup call for me to step up and get involved in local government because it affects our lives every day.”

All three candidates are members of Up2Us, the group formed from the Chappaqua Friends of Hillary. Browde worked for the Clinton campaign primarily in North Carolina, where Democrats unseated the Republican Governor and attorney general. Markels worked in Pennsylvania and Pool was a supporter in New York.

Members of the town board are elected to serve four-year terms. The Town Supervisor is elected to serve a two-year term. When elected, the slate will join Democrats Hala Makowska and Jeremy Saland on the Town Board.

The New Castle Democratic Committee also endorses the re-election campaign of Town Judge Noah Sorkin.

The Town of New Castle encompasses the hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood, as well homes served by Mount Kisco, Ossining and Bedford postal addresses.