Carmel Republicans head to the polls

CARMEL,  N.Y. — Registered Republicans will head to the polls on Tuesday (June 24) to choose candidates for the Town Board and supervisor race. 

Democrats plan to field candidates in the general election this November and will face the winners of the upcoming GOP primary.

Here's a quick rundown of the Republican candidates, with links to longer profiles and articles about the two races.

SUPERVISOR

The supervisor race pits incumbent Mike Cazzari, a former Carmel police chief seeking his third two-year term leading the town, against challenger Frank Ciano, who has built a following on social media.

In a nutshell, voters will weigh Cazzari's experience leading both the town and the police department against Ciano's belief that working in the private sector in general—and construction in particular—makes him better suited for the job. Earlier this year, the Town of Carmel Republican Committee endorsed Cazzari.

Mahopac News sent the candidates questions about their qualifications and goals. You can read their written responses here.

In his provocative Facebook videos, Ciano positions himself as willing to fight corruption in the system and make government more accountable and efficient. But Ciano has drawn fire from those who accuse him of bullying, making (or amplifying) accusations without offering concrete evidence, and engaging in shady business dealings. An organization called the Putnam Integrity Project has sent out mailers attacking Ciano's posts—and his business credentials. You can read about that in our story: Gloves come off in Carmel supervisor race.

TOWN BOARD

Compared to the contest for supervisor, the three-way race for the two Town Board nominations has been as controversial as tea and cucumber sandwiches.

Ironically, the candidate with the least government tenure is also the incumbent: local businessman Mike Lugo. Lugo won a special election to complete the term of Steve Baranowski, who resigned at the end of 2023. Lugo was unopposed in the fall of 2024 and took his seat on the board soon after Election Day.

Lugo is facing former councilman and deputy supervisor Robert Schanil Jr. and Cazzari's predecessor as supervisor, Ken Schmitt. Schanil is the only candidate from Carmel Hamlet in the contest. Like Schmitt, he has a background in law enforcement—Schanil served in Westchester, and Schmitt spent most of his career with the Carmel PD.

Lugo and Schanil won the backing of the Carmel GOP Committee. 

Lugo believes his youth and the fact that he owns local businesses and has a young family puts him in touch with the needs of younger residents, while Schanil and Schmitt argue that their experience in the workings of local government will make them more effective on the Town Board.

You can read about all three in our profile here.