GOP Committee nominates Hess to run for Putnam County sheriff

Having Kevin support me made all the difference. I have big shoes to fill.”

GOP Putnam County Sheriff nominee Brian Hess

CARMEL, N.Y.—Putnam County Acting Sheriff Brian Hess has received the Republican Committee’s nomination to run for sheriff in the November general election.

Hess replaces Sheriff Kevin McConville on the ballot after McConville passed away earlier this month. Hess had served as undersheriff until McConville’s death elevated him to acting sheriff.

Hess secured the nomination Thursday evening (Aug. 28) during a meeting of the Republican Committee. He garnered 116 votes or about 57 percent of all the votes cast. Carmel Supervisor Mike Cazzari, who is the former chief of the Carmel Police Department, came in second with 64 votes.

Also, up for consideration was Ralph Cilento, chief investigator for the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office (23 votes) and Eric Grutzner, chief of the Pleasantville Police Department (nine votes).

Larry Burke, former officer-in-charge for the Cold Spring Police Department, received three votes. Burke is already on the ballot as an independent candidate and now will face off against Hess in November.

“I am very thankful for the GOP Committee putting its faith in me,” Hess told Mahopac News. “The Sheriff’s Office is an excellent team, and I look forward to leading them.”

Hess said he believes getting McConville’s endorsement helped secure his nomination.

“Having Kevin support me made all the difference,” he said. “I have big shoes to fill. But Janice McConville (the late sheriff’s wife) came out to support me and that was huge. She is a member of the committee, and she was there in the audience supporting me. That put me over the top.”

Hess said he knows he has to win the election against Burke in November but said one of the biggest priorities on his platform is school safety.

“That is what I want to concentrate on right now as acting sheriff,” he said. “We’ve got the SROs up and running and heading to the schools right now. We just added two more SROs to the Carmel School District so now they have four.

“We want to make sure they have all the equipment that they need,” he continued. “And we need to be in contact with all our private schools as well and make sure they have everything they need.”

Hess said as acting sheriff, as per New York State law, he will appoint a new undersheriff next week.