Politics

Consultant surfaces as potential Parker opponent

With Republicans targeting the seat of Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat, as part of the party’s efforts to claim majority control of the 17-member Board of Legislators this election season, another potential opponent has been making the rounds.

Susan Watson
Susan Watson

According to multiple sources within the Mamaroneck and Rye GOP, Susan Watson, a Rye resident, is seeking the county Republican nomination for the District 7 seat, currently occupied by Parker.

Watson joins another Rye resident, Leon Sculti, chairman of the Rye Golf Club Commission, as potential Republican nominees.

When reached by phone this week, Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, confirmed that Watson’s name was put out as a potential candidate. While Rosenblum wasn’t very familiar with her, he said he first heard her name surface as a candidate during a Westchester Municipal Officials Association meeting.

According to Republican sources within Parker’s legislative district, Watson began meeting with the local Republican committees over the last few weeks, including a meeting with Rye City Republican district leaders on May 11. While Watson has no prior political experience, she has been an executive search associate at Spencer Stuart, a New York City-based headhunting and consulting firm, for the last four years.

In contrast to Watson, whose name has surfaced within political circles for the first time this year, Sculti has toyed with the idea of a political run before.

In 2013, he expressed interest in running for a seat on the Rye City Council with the Republicans. But, party leaders ultimately choose other candidates to fill out the ticket that was headlined by mayoral candidate Joe Sack.

Later that year, Sculti also ran for a seat on the non-partisan, volunteer Rye Golf Club Commission in 2013, which he won after being elected by the club’s members. Earlier this year, Sculti was appointed commission chairman.

Westchester County Republicans are expected to choose a candidate at the party’s nominating caucus scheduled for May 27, after press time.

According to sources, county Republican leaders have identified the District 7 race as an important step in taking a majority control of the Board of Legislators. Currently, Democrats hold 10 of the 17 district seats.

But grabbing hold of Parker’s seat won’t be easy as Democrats have held the District 7 seat since 1992, when current state Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat, ousted then county Legislator Diane Keane, a Rye Republican.

District 7 includes Rye City, the Town and Village of Mamaroneck, Larchmont and parts of New Rochelle and Harrison.

County legislators are elected to serve two-year terms.

Douglas Colety, chairman of the Westchester County Republican Committee, could not be reached for comment, as of press time.