With early voting already underway ahead of primary day on June 23, Mahopac Republicans have a choice to make as Carmel GOP-endorsed Town Councilman Frank Lombardi faces Board of Education Trustee Tanner McCracken to earn the GOP nomination to run for Putnam County Legislature.
Here is an up-close look at both candidates.
A lifelong Mahopac resident and practicing attorney for more than three decades, Frank Lombardi is seeking a seat on the Putnam County Legislature after years of service on the Carmel Town Board.
Lombardi currently serves as deputy supervisor under Carmel Supervisor Mike Cazzari and is in his second stint on the Town Board, having first served from 2010 to 2017 before returning in 2020. He said his years in local government, combined with his legal background, have prepared him to tackle county issues from day one.
“During the course of my tenure, I believe that I have contributed greatly to the fabric of our town,” Lombardi said. “I believe I bring not only my experience in government to the position, but also my legal expertise as a practicing attorney in the private sector for over 30 years.”
Throughout his time on the Town Board, Lombardi has focused on public safety and quality-of-life issues. He points to legislation requiring fingerprint background checks for new town employees, efforts to ban synthetic marijuana and oppose recreational marijuana dispensaries, and initiatives aimed at combating illegal dumping.
Lombardi also has been a vocal critic of New York’s bail reform laws, sponsoring resolutions urging state leaders to revisit the legislation. He helped draft local regulations prohibiting battery energy storage facilities in Carmel and has worked closely with the Carmel Police Department on public safety initiatives.
Lombardi said that one of the most challenging periods of his tenure came during the COVID-19 pandemic. He served as the town’s COVID coordinator, working with county, school and state officials to communicate health information to residents while helping keep the town government operating. He also organized food drives to assist families facing economic hardship.
Beyond government, Lombardi has been active in numerous community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus, Boy Scouts, the Back the Blue Committee, United for the Troops and the Italian American Club of Mahopac.
Fiscal management is another area that Lombardi highlights. He said the Town Board has significantly reduced borrowing and strengthened municipal finances during his tenure, with the town’s fund balance growing from approximately $5.7 million in 2015 to more than $16 million today.
Lombardi also points to a recent agreement allowing Putnam County towns and villages to receive a share of county sales tax revenues, something he advocated for with county officials.
If elected to the Legislature, Lombardi said he would focus on collaboration and bringing stability to county government.
“I can bring a common-sense approach to the Legislature, which seems to need a voice of reason,” he said. “Experienced leadership is what is needed at this time.”
Tanner McCracken, a six-year member of the Mahopac Board of Education and a senior staff member for New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, is seeking a seat on the Putnam County Legislature with a campaign centered on affordability, government transparency and economic development.
Born in Queens, McCracken moved to Mahopac with his family in 2006. A graduate of Mahopac High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration and public policy from the University at Albany. He has spent the past five years working in state government.
“Mahopac is home,” McCracken said. “It’s where I grew up, where I learned the value of hard work and service, and it’s where I intend to plant my roots and raise my family.”
McCracken first entered public office at age 20 when he successfully ran for the Mahopac School Board. He said he was motivated by concerns about transparency, taxpayer accountability, and the need to better prepare students for life after graduation.
Among the accomplishments he cites are helping make personal financial literacy a graduation requirement and advancing policies designed to increase transparency and parental involvement in district decision-making. He also frequently positioned himself as a fiscal watchdog, opposing several proposed tax increases.
“I am proud of my record,” McCracken said of his school board tenure. “I led the effort to make personal financial literacy a graduation requirement. I wrote and passed dozens of policies to increase transparency and parent involvement.”
McCracken recently joined fellow Trustee Nicole Iacono in calling for the district to codify a Parents’ Bill of Rights and said he has been willing to push back on policy decisions when he disagreed with them.
“There were times when I was the lone ‘No’ vote against property tax increases. I didn’t go along to get along. I fought for what I believed was right.”
McCracken said many of the same concerns that motivated his school board campaign have inspired his run for county office.
“When I look at the current Legislature, I see many of the same problems I saw when I first ran for the school board,” he said. “A lack of transparency, self-serving politicians and complacency.”
If elected, McCracken said his top priority would be making Putnam County more affordable. He advocates for reducing property taxes, expanding tax relief programs for seniors, veterans and first responders, and implementing long-term fiscal planning.
He has also called for ethics reforms and greater public access to government proceedings, including livestreaming and recording all public meetings.
McCracken argues that affordability remains the county’s most pressing challenge, particularly for seniors on fixed incomes and young families trying to establish roots in the area.
He also believes Putnam County needs stronger economic development efforts, especially in Mahopac’s downtown business district.
“Families are struggling; seniors are worried about staying in the homes they worked their whole lives to afford, and too many young people are leaving because they simply cannot afford to build a future here,” McCracken said.
Campaigning as an outsider, McCracken says he offers a combination of youthful energy and government experience. He hopes voters will view his record on the school board and in state government as evidence of his commitment to public service.
“This community raised me,” he said. “I feel both a calling and a responsibility to give back.”
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