NEWS

Richard Thomas: Mt. Vernon victory signals generational shift

The question is whether Thomas can deliver change or if he will be met with resistance from some former rivals.

Mark Lungariello
mlungariel@lohud.com

Councilman Richard Thomas called his runaway victory in Thursday’s Democratic mayoral primary in Mount Vernon a “mandate” for change that engaged a whole new generation of city residents.

Mount Vernon Councilman Richard Thomas

If he goes on to a November victory as expected, he’ll be replacing Ernie Davis, 76, mayor for 16 out of the last 20 years. In the sometimes-heated campaign, Davis called Thomas a child and said he lacked the experience needed for the job.

Thomas, 32, thinks his age was a benefit.

Also running in the primary were longtime state Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, former mayor and Westchester County Legislator Clinton Young and Maureen Walker, who has been the city comptroller since 1993. Both Davis and Hassell-Thompson held public office years before Thomas was old enough to drive.

“They look at me as a kid, but the kids have grown up,” Thomas said. “We have families and our families are aging on both ends of the spectrum. ... When you look at the millennial generation, we’re inheriting a tremendous amount of responsibility.”

Thomas and his wife, Cherish Celetti, have a 2-year-old son and a baby due Oct. 15 – just a few weeks before the general election. He likened his youth and family situation to the optimism and new beginnings he envisions for Mount Vernon.

He still needs to win the general election, but is the heavy favorite after winning 40 percent of the vote in the primary for a city that is reliably Democratic. Thomas will also appear on the Republican and Independence party lines, but faces long-shot challenges from Councilwoman Deborah Reynolds on the Conservative line and Hassell-Thompson on the Working Families lines.

A councilman since 2012, Thomas has taken on an outsider status in City Hall, clashing with Davis, Walker and some City Council colleagues over what he has said is a lack of transparency and inadequate financial controls.

Now that he appears headed to the mayor’s office, the question is whether he can deliver change or if he will be met with resistance from some former rivals.

Thomas said his goal as a councilman was to “open up the books” and said as mayor he’d hope his colleagues would get on board.

“Access to information is just as important as public safety,” he said. “Engagement is a much better tool than isolation. Engagement will deliver the changes that we need.”

He said if he is ultimately sworn in, he will take a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach to try to engage residents, who have felt alienated from the local political process.

His first order of business, he said, would be to meet with city employees to focus on improving resources for the police and fire departments.

“I acknowledge that the task will be daunting but that’s where we’re going to start,” he said. “I will continue to set a clear vision for the city and convey that we must aim higher."

Twitter: @marklungariello