Cunzio Declares Victory in BoL District 3 Election

Margaret Cunzio, Republican/Conservative/Reform candidate for the Westchester County Board of Legislators in District 3, declared victory today over John Diaconis.

The seat is key in determining the balance of power at the BoL, she said in a prepared statement.

District 3 includes Mount Pleasant, North Castle, Pleasantville and parts of Sleepy Hollow, Briarcliff Manor and Greenburgh.

Cunzio’s unofficial vote tally from the Westchester County Board of Elections as of Wednesday was 4,043 (56 percent) to Diaconis’s 3,156 (44 percent).

“I thank the voters of District 3 for placing their trust in me; I am humbled by their support,“ she said. “Throughout this campaign, I heard their concerns about the crushing tax burden in Westchester and the current realities of the Affordable Housing Settlement. They can rest assured that I will stand with County Executive Rob Astorino to make Westchester more affordable and fight any attempt by the federal government to dismantle local zoning, especially as we look to complete the original terms of the settlement on schedule.”

This was Cunzio’s first run for public office.

She got a warm welcome from County Executive Rob Astorino. “We have come a long way in reversing Westchester’s decline but we have a lot more work to do to hold the line on property taxes, keep the budget under control despite crushing mandates from Albany and protect our communities from federal government overreach.”

Cunzio replaces Legislator Michael Smith, who said he thought her victory was a mandate.

“The voters made clear that they believe in Margaret Cunzio’s vision for their communities,” he said. “I know Margaret will continue to be a strong supporter of County Executive Rob Astorino, particularly in defending local zoning from Washington bureaucrats, who have attempted to use the problematic and poorly-worded 2009 Affordable Housing Settlement to usurp local control.”

She thanked her opponent and the voters, saying “Now that Election Day has passed, it’s time to put the rhetoric aside and focus on the many challenges that lie ahead.”