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COUNCILWOMAN MILAGROS LECUONA AT A NEWS CONFERENCE THIS SPRING. SHE HAS ACCEPTED THE REPUBLICAN AND CONSERVATIVE NOMINATIONS FOR MAYOR WHICH IF NOT CHALLENGED GUARANTEES HER TWO LINES ON THE NOVEMBER MAYORAL BALLOT.

Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona told WPCNR Monday afternoon that she has accepted the Republican Party nomination for Mayor and the Conservative Party nomination. The Republican Party nominated Lecouna as its Mayoral choice last week, according to Brian Maloney, White Plains Republican Party Chair.  Lecuona said she had turned in her “Certificate of Acceptance” to the Board of Elections Monday morning.

Allan Goldman, a Democratic candidate for Common Council contending in the Democratic Party Primary September 12, was also nominated by the Republican Party to run for a Council Seat.

Lecuona said she had already filed her “Certificate of Acceptance” of the Republican nomination with the Board of Elections. The Certificate is a document that candidates not being a member of party nominating must file to accept the nomination.

The Republican Party also nominated Cass V Cibeli to run for Common Council and a third council candidate that they have not officially announced yet.

Lecuona commented that she accepted the Republican and Conservative nomination for Mayor because “People want change and I am the change.”

The acceptance by Lecuona guarantees her a place on the November ballot for Mayor, should she fail to defeat incumbent Mayor Thomas Roach in the Democratic primary September 12.

This morning, Mayor Roach issued a news release, calling for Lecuona to withdraw from the Democratic primary because she was no longer “a progressive” by accepting the Republican nomination.

Lecuona, firing back this afternoon, issued a statement saying  Mr. Roach had no trouble accepted the Republican and Conservative lines in the past:

“Tom Roach’s campaign’s hypocritical call for my withdrawal from the Democratic Primary is just one more example of his rigid, unchanging ideals. In 2009, when he ran for Common Council he took the GOP and the Conservative Party Nominations. Now that all parties in White Plains are calling for change, my opponent’s opinions have changed. The people of White Plains are tired of Tom Roach’s obstinate views, and are coming from all political parties to demand more. I am honored to be supported by residents across party lines, and I will continue to work with them to see real progress in the City of White Plains.”

Lecuona noted that her petitions for Mayor in the Democratic Primary generated more signatures that Mr.  Roach, the incumbent. The Democratic Party has until Friday to challenge the validity of the 2,700 signatures.

Andrew Custodio  of Gedney Way was nominated for a second Common Council seat. He is a professional engineer with Skanska USA where he supervised electrical engineering and construction projects including the Metro-North Croton-Harmon Shop upgrade and the new LaGuardia Airport redevelopment. Prior to this he was Senior Engineer at AMTRAK NEW YORK, where he supervised construction within Penn Station and the North River and East River tunnels. Mr. Custodio is President of the Gedney Park Association, and active in the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

The third Republican-Conservative candidate is Cass V. Cibelli, who has run for Mayor of White Plains previously and spent his career in education in New York City rising to Principal of several schools.