Daniels to challenge Lucas in race for North Salem Supervisor

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - For the first time in recent memory, the race for North Salem’s top spot will be contested.

Councilwoman Katherine Daniels, who has been endorsed by local Democrats, confirmed this week that she plans to run against longtime Town Supervisor Warren Lucas this fall.

Lucas was re-elected to an eighth term last November. Also returned to office unopposed in November 2025 were fellow Republican, Deputy Supervisor Peter Kamenstein, and Councilman Martin Aronchick, a Democrat who also ran on the Balanced Rock Party line.

Town supervisors have two-year terms; council members serve for four.

In October, the New York Court of Appeals upheld a 2023 state law that moved many county and town elections – outside of New York City – from odd to even years so they would sync up with federal and statewide contests.

A federal lawsuit has been filed seeking to overturn the law, claiming it violates the First Amendment and the Voting Rights Act.

This means that Lucas has to hit the campaign trail again in record time.

He was endorsed by the North Salem Republican Town Committee earlier this month.

DANIELS

Daniels, now serving her second term, had planned to make an “official” announcement early in March.

(The petitioning process starts shortly.)

However, as the cat was already out of the bag, she agreed to speak to Halston Media about why she felt ready to take on the new challenge.

“I am very good at bringing members of the community together to participate in the process of town government and make it more effective and cost efficient,” she said in a statement, adding: “My management style is collaborative.  I have a proven track record on the Town Board of raising and solving issues and a deep, practical understanding of how the supervisor’s office should work.  I also have the trust of North Salem voters who have elected me twice.”

She was endorsed by the North Salem Democratic Committee.

In a statement released by NSDC Chair Emily Siegel on Monday, Feb. 16, Dems praised Daniels for working "tirelessly in many different volunteer capacities to improve the quality of life in North Salem."

"As a member of the Town Board for two terms, Katherine has worked skillfully to address all of the important issues in North Salem. As our next Town Supervisor, she will continue to work hard to make connections with county, state and federal officials to better serve our community," it continued.

Daniels, the NSDC promised, will also "insist upon evenhanded enforcement of our Town Code, protect open space and the unique rural character of our town, and remain committed to long-range planning, transparency and controlling spending" and will continue to support "thoughtful efforts to keep North Salem’s hamlets viable and attractive."

The NSDC also said that Daniels' "selfless and exemplary community service work has positively impacted North Salem’s local government, schools, environment, and the overall safety, health and well-being of the citizens of North Salem."

She "has experience with and a deep understanding of all of the issues facing the Town and will be an inspirational Town Supervisor ready to go full speed ahead on day one," it concluded.

An attorney, Daniels has been practicing intellectual property and media law for 30 years.

She’s lived in North Salem since 1996, and has been on the Town Board since 2021, is a volunteer EMT with the local ambulance corps, and chairs the Community Smart Leadership Team and the Capital Planning Committee.

Daniels is past president and a former trustee on the North Salem Board of Education. She served on the North Salem Comprehensive Planning Committee and Energy Advisory Panel.

An avid horsewoman, she is also co-president of the North Salem Bridle Trails Association. She's also a former trustee of the Ruth Keeler Memorial Library.

A former lay leader of St. James Episcopal Church, Daniels sings in the choir.

According to her campaign materials, she is a member of the League of Women Voters ERA Task Force and is a board member of Allied Community Enterprises, which provides affordable housing in Westchester County.

Daniels recently became a volunteer with Neighbor’s Link, a Mount Kisco-based organization that supports immigrant families.

Daniels said she was “well prepared” to assume the office of supervisor.

She noted that she and her team helped secure more than $300,000 in grants to make efficiency upgrades to town buildings, including installation of solar panels on the Highway Garage.

The Capital Planning Committee, which Daniels also chairs, has developed a comprehensive schedule of the town’s capital assets and is in the process of developing the town’s first formal Capital Improvement Plan.

She said she was also “instrumental” in convincing the Town Board to invest in municipal accounting software to improve efficiency and transparency in budgeting and fiscal management.

Daniels is married to Josh Leicht, a former prosecutor and current compliance consultant who serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the Croton Falls Fire Department.

Their two sons, Jake and Ben Leicht, are U.S. Air Force officers and pilots.

LUCAS

Proudly noting that North Salem is his hometown, Lucas emphasized that he’s “spent decades working hard to deliver real results, protect our environment, and keep costs low for taxpayers.”

He sent Halston Media the following statement:

“I am asking for your vote as I run again for Town Supervisor. I’ve been honored to serve North Salem for 36 years, and as Town Supervisor since 2009. Over that time, we’ve made major investments in our community -- from Peach Lake sewers to a new Highway Garage, Court, Police Station, baseball and soccer fields, and Community Center, to improve the service that we deliver to you, all while keeping costs to taxpayers as low as possible.

I’ve worked hard to bring more than $30 million in grants and outside funding to North Salem, protect our environment through projects like LED street lighting and solar energy on our Highway Garage, and respond directly to residents’ concerns, including ongoing work to give Croton Falls the information and funding options needed to decide on sewer improvements this year.

This is my hometown. I grew up here, and I take great pride in working long hours to make sure North Salem continues to be a place where people can build a good life for themselves and their families. I look forward to earning the community’s trust again and serving another term as Town Supervisor.”

The supervisor’s history of public service is also long and varied.

Prior to becoming town supervisor in 2009, Lucas was deputy supervisor and a town councilman.

He is an executive board member and former president of the Westchester Municipal Officials Association and a member and former chair of its Legislative Committee.

Lucas is president of the Westchester-Putnam Association of Town Supervisors, treasurer of the East of Hudson Watershed Corp., a member of the executive board and treasurer of Sustainable Westchester and has been a member of the Board of Trustees and a treasurer for John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers.

He is a former Energize NY executive board member, a member of the Lions Club, and a former member of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals and of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals and the Ruth Keeler Memorial Library board.

He worked for IBM for 32 years before retiring in 2010.

He and his wife, Susan, who is president of the Lions Club, have five children and seven grandchildren.

In early February, just a little over a month after he was officially sworn in for the eighth time, Lucas was endorsed – yet again -- by the North Salem Republican Town Committee.

It issued the following statement:

“Warren Lucas has served the residents of North Salem with integrity, steady leadership, and a deep understanding of the town’s unique character. Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated a thoughtful and measured approach to governance; balancing fiscal responsibility with transparency, responsiveness, and respect for taxpayers.

Under Supervisor Lucas’s leadership, North Salem has benefited from responsible budgeting, careful long-term planning, and a commitment to preserving the town’s rural character while addressing the evolving needs of residents. He has consistently worked collaboratively with town boards, staff, and community members, fostering an environment where differing viewpoints are heard and respected.”

The NSRTC went on to say that it believes that Lucas “embodies the qualities North Salem deserves in a town supervisor, namely: “experience, accountability, and a genuine dedication to public service.”

The endorsement also cited Lucas’ record as “a leader who puts the interests of the town first and approaches challenges with common sense and professionalism.”

Finally, the NSRTC said the town was looking ahead to “continued steady leadership grounded in fiscal responsibility, thoughtful planning, and a deep dedication to North Salem.”