With the race for Putnam County Legislative District 8 entering the home stretch, Carmel Democrats are challenging Republican/Conservative candidate Tanner McCracken over his attendance record when he served on the Mahopac Board of Education and raising what they call “serious questions” about his residency in the district and financial disclosures.
Read the Carmel Democrats' press release
McCracken — who grew up in District 9 and moved to District 8 — is running against Democrat Gwen Burke.
The Carmel Democratic Committee alleges that McCracken, who works in Albany as an aide to Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (R), was either absent or remote for more than 30 percent of the school board's meetings from 2021–26.
In a press release, the committee said McCracken attended 93 of 153 meetings in person and participated virtually in another 15.
“His Albany job explains his absentee record at School Board meetings,” the release stated, citing figures for his in-person and remote attendance. The release also accused McCracken of abstaining on controversial votes involving challenged books.
McCracken said Burke would “rather attack” his attendance record “than explain why she deserves to represent Mahopac.”
“For the record, I maintained nearly a 90 percent total attendance rate over six years of volunteer service on the Mahopac School Board, where I delivered greater transparency, stronger parental rights, and a first-in-the-state personal financial literacy program graduation requirement,” he said in a statement to Halston Media, adding that he only saw Burke at one School Board meeting and “never saw” her when he attended County Legislature meetings “as a concerned citizen.”
McCracken told Halston Media that he has worked out his schedule with Sen. Ortt to allow him to attend County Legislature meetings if elected.
“I plan on attending all County Legislature meetings and my committee meetings,” McCracken said.
Democrats also questioned McCracken's residency in District 8, noting that his mailing address is still in District 9. Election law does not prohibit moving into a district to run, nor does a voter's mailing address need to be in his or her residential voting district.
“I have lived in Mahopac since I was 6 years old — for over 21 years,” McCracken said. “I’ve spent my life serving our community, long before I ever asked for anyone’s vote.”
The committee also alleged that McCracken had filed only one of five campaign finance reports.
“I have filed more than one campaign finance report through the EFS system and I have been on and off the phone with the Board of Elections resolving a technical issue,” he said.
Read the Carmel Democrats’ full release and McCracken’s full statement attached to this article.
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