Mount Kisco Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer’s name won’t be on the official ballot in the Village Board elections this fall—but that doesn’t mean she's totally out of the picture.
“Don’t count me out … necessarily,” she told Halston Media.
The longtime Democratic village trustee announced on social media recently that she’s decided not to run as an independent.
The Westchester County Board of Elections confirmed that Schleimer did not submit any nominating petitions for an independent line. However, it said two people, Sean Moran and Jennifer Vallejos, had done so under the name “Mount Kisco United.”
Vallejos was unable to provide a statement by press time and this reporter was unable to reach Moran.
In an email to Halston Media, Schleimer said she may consider waging a write-in campaign.
There’s one caveat.
She will only forge ahead if her supporters “come out and help,” Schleimer said.
A working lawyer with a full-time job, she was not endorsed by the Mount Kisco Democratic Committee. It opted instead to back incumbent Trustee Tom Luzio, its chair, and Mike McGuirk, who currently leads the village’s Planning Board.
(There are no Republican candidates in the upcoming race for the two open Village Board seats.)
Schleimer, who had decided earlier not to pursue a Democratic primary, posted the following on Facebook.
“As you know, after 14 years of service on the Village Board of Trustees and as a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Mount Kisco has chosen not to endorse me.
"After careful reflection and conversations with friends, family, and neighbors, I have decided not to pursue running on an independent line at this time.
"My public service has been the honor of my life and I am grateful to everyone who has stood with me over the years.
"I remain committed to our town and to the people who call it home. I will stay engaged in the work ahead, and ready to help where I can. If the time is right, I will be ready to serve.
"Thank you for your trust, your friendship, and your faith in both what we have built together, and may yet build in the coming years together.”
Asked what finally pushed her toward this decision, Schleimer answered the question somewhat philosophically.
“I believe that our community has said it is ready for fresh voices and new energy. I wholly support that,” she said, alluding to an apparent shift in support to Moran and Vallejos.
That’s not to say, Schleimer added, that there aren’t a lot of folks who aren’t “disappointed” that she’s not officially on the ballot.
But if enough support is there for a successful write-in effort, she said she’d definitely serve.
Schleimer, who frequently champions senior citizen issues, is known for her intense scrutiny of the village’s bills.
“I feel that I’ve served a valuable purpose on the board,” she said, noting that she always went over contracts and other financial items with a fine-toothed comb.
Schleimer added that she hoped someone would “carry on” that doggedness if she’s no longer on the board.
Besides Mayor J. Michael Cindrich – under the current board make up – she said she’s spent the most time in the public service saddle.
(Cindrich was first elected mayor in 2003 and has served terms as both a trustee and a deputy mayor. He staged a comeback victory in 2023, when he returned to the mayor’s office as a candidate on the Village Inclusive Party (VIP) line.)
Schleimer claimed she was “concerned” about the experience level of the four trustees who will be sitting on the board after the November elections.
“We have a lot of issues as a village," she said. "It’s a big ask for people who are just starting out.”
Trustees Heather Bryant, president and past vice president of the Mount Kisco Public Library’s Board of Trustees, and Tammy Brown, an attorney specializing in workers’ rights, were elected in 2025, handily unseating incumbent Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora and trustee Angie Guerra-Garcia.
Luzio, an attorney and former assistant district attorney, first took office in 2024. McGuirk, a professional musician, joined the Planning Board in 2021, became its co-chair in 2023, and then its chair in the summer of 2025.
Schleimer, re-emphasizing that it had been “an honor to serve” on the board, said she felt it had accomplished “a lot” in the last 14 years.
She’s also very proud of her community.
“I love Mount Kisco, what can I say?” she told Halston Media.
Thanking Schleimer for her 14 years of service, Luzio said “it takes a special person to put in that amount of time.”
As for experience levels, Luzio noted that he’s had 40 years of public service and is also still running his own business.
“Mount Kisco already voted for a change last year when we elected trustees Brown and Bryant,” he said, pointing out that Bryant has a degree in public administration and Brown was once corporation counsel for the City of Mount Vernon.
“All four of us (meaning himself, Bryant, Brown, and McGuirk) have government experience. I’m confident of our abilities to handle the challenges in front of us,” Luzio said.
Luzio also noted that he was not a voting member of the 14-member MKDC that unanimously endorsed McGuirk and him.
“I’m certain that was based on his dedication and contributions to the village, and that’s not just his time on the Planning Board,” he said, praising McGuirk for his willingness to listen and to “work together to find solutions.”
McGuirk was a “valuable member” of the Complete Streets Committee that had worked to secure $7 million in infrastructure grants for Mount Kisco, Luzio said.
“We inherited the Preston Way Bridge closure on Dec. 2 of last year. We have moved that project forward over the past four months on several levels. That’s the kind of work where a person like Mike McGuirk with his experience and work on the Planning Board has prepared him for what lies ahead regarding the bridge’s reopening,” Luzio said.
McGuirk said his previous service to the community has prepared him for a role on the Village Board.
“I think my five-and-a-half years on the Planning Board demonstrates my ability to work for the people of the village and indicates how I will serve as a village trustee,” McGuirk said.
“I understand I haven’t been a Village Board trustee, but I’m ready to go on Day One. The experience is there and will serve the village well,” McGuirk added, noting that he’s been trained in ethics, open meetings laws, best practices for municipal procedures, and other relevant skill sets.
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