Republican Matt Slater to Run Unopposed for Supervisor
By Dan Murphy
The decision by the Yorktown Democratic Party not to run a candidate for Town Supervisor shows that the GOP in the northern Westchester community remains strong, and the current Supervisor, republican Matt Slater, is doing a good job.
Former democratic Supervisor Lanny Gilbert, who narrowly lost his re-election to Slater in 2009, will be running for Town Board in 2021. “A loving father of 5 and a 29-year resident of Yorktown, Lanny Gilbert currently serves as Administrative Law Judge for the Health Department of Westchester County and is on the NYS Board of Commissioners for the New York State Bridge Authority. He brings a long history of public service and professional experience to the Town Board, having served for two years as Yorktown Town Supervisor and five years as Yorktown Town Justice and serving 36 years as a Principal Court Attorney for the NYS Unified Court System. Lanny was recognized and commended for his long service by both the Westchester County Board of Legislators and the Bronx Supreme Court. He was instrumental in creating the Youth Court in Yorktown with the Alliance for Safe Kids. Lanny has demonstrated thoughtful leadership, commitment, and caring for all the residents of Yorktown,” states the Yorktown democrats in their release.
One Yorktown democrat told us that “Lanny has other obligations now that he didn’t have two years ago. He can serve on the Town Board but decided against running for Supervisor again.”
Democrat Town Councilperson Vishnu Patel is running for re-election. “A resident of the Town for 48 years, Vishnu Patel was a scientist at IBM for 36 years. He is currently serving his fifth term as Town Councilperson. Patel has a wife and is a proud grandfather of four. He advises local science students with their projects, is an active volunteer with local Scout groups, and was named by the Patch as Citizen of the Year for his dedication to the students of Yorktown, and to various groups including the Boy Scouts of America. Vishnu was honored in 2011 as Inventor of the Year by the Eastern New York Intellectual Property Law Association. Both Gilbert and Patel are compassionate, thoughtful, and driven. They both believe that residents need to be provided with as much information as possible, and that everyone deserves to have their voices heard,” stated the democrats release.
The Democrats’ choice for Town Justice is Aviah Cohen Pierson. A lifelong resident of Yorktown, Ms. Cohen Pierson is an attorney with 15 years of experience. She has served as a court attorney, as a member of the Yorktown Board of Ethics, and as a litigator in state and federal courts. She is currently the Chief Legal Officer at ENT and Allergy Associates. Ms. Cohen Pierson is a mother and was active as an officer of the PTA of the Yorktown School District. Ms. Cohen Pierson will be the first woman to serve as Town Justice in our town’s long history,” wrote the Yorktown democrats (yorktowndemocrats.org)
Some Westchester republicans see Slater as a rising star in the party. “Matt beat Lanny two years ago in a close race, but not close enough where Lanny wanted to change his new jobs to run again. But the fact that Lanny didn’t run again points to the popularity of Supervisor Slater. Matt is young and energetic. He is well spoken and for the first time in a long time, a Supervisor in Yorktown is running unopposed,” said Westchester Republican David Tilsdale.
