With all 17 seats on the Westchester County Board of Legislators up for election this year, county Republicans, in particular, have been eying the seat of Catherine Parker for some time. Yet, according to multiple sources, the GOP has been having a tough time fielding candidates to attempt to unseat Parker.
Although Republicans from around the Sound Shore have been mum on candidates with time dwindling before the county party holds its nominating caucus, one name that sources have confirmed is Leon Sculti, the chairman of the Rye Golf Club Commission. Although Sculti, 47, declined comment when reached by the Review this week, sources said he sent an email to Republican leaders in Rye expressing his interest in running for the county seat.
However, county Republicans have yet to choose a candidate, as of press time, and sources indicated concern that a Sculti candidacy would not fare well in a general election against Parker.
This isn’t the first time Sculti has flirted with a potential political run.
In 2013, Sculti tested the waters for a run for Rye City Council on the Republican ticket. He sat down with the party’s screening committee but was passed over for the Rye United ticket headlined by then mayoral candidate Joe Sack.
Sculti’s sister, Christine, is a high-ranking official in Republican County Executive Rob Astorino’s administration and his mother Angela is a district leader with the City of Rye Republican Party.
In 2013, the District 7 legislative seat was one of the more hotly contested seats after being vacated by then incumbent Legislator Judy Myers, a Larchmont Democrat who retired from politics. Parker, a Rye Democrat who was endorsed by Myers, faced opposition within her own party from former Village of Mamaroneck Trustee Tom Murphy.
Parker ultimately won a close primary and then the county seat after defeating Republican John Verni in the general election in what was another tight race.
According to sources, GOP officials asked Verni to consider challenging Parker again this year but the real estate developer and Mamaroneck resident decided against doing so citing potential conflicts with some of his development projects in the pipeline.
Parker, a local small business owner, runs a travel store in Rye. She also spent six years on the Rye City Council before being elected to the county Board of Legislators. Parker has said she will be seeking re-election this year.
Legislative District 7 includes Rye City, the Town and Village of Mamaroneck, Larchmont and parts of New Rochelle and Harrison.
