Mount Pleasant Supervisor Concedes Defeat as Democrats Take Lead

Democratic candidate Tom Abinanti held a lead of 1,934 votes over Republican incumbent Carl Fulgenzi in the Mount Pleasant supervisor race as of Tuesday afternoon. The margin represented 62.5 percent of the vote for Abinanti and 37.4 percent for Fulgenzi. Fulgenzi spoke with The Examiner this afternoon and effectively conceded the race. He expressed good wishes for the Democratic candidates who appear ready to take control of the town government.

Fulgenzi attributed the outcome largely to a national reaction against President Donald Trump. He described the vote as an anti-Trump measure. Locally, he said the Republican message did not reach enough voters. He also complained about unfair misinformation spread against his campaign. Fulgenzi agreed that local Republican officials might benefit from creating distance between themselves and the president in their public statements. He noted that he does not align with every position Trump takes, specifically citing disagreements over arrogance, tariffs, and foreign policy.

The loss extends beyond the top ticket. Democratic candidate Anna Nelson held a commanding lead over Republican incumbent Gail Wind for the Town Board. Frank Hrotko also led Republican incumbent Richard Benkwitt in the highway superintendent race. Fulgenzi said he will not try to obstruct the incoming administration. He plans to watch how the new leadership handles town affairs. He stated that he prides himself on looking at local issues without a strict partisan lens.

Fulgenzi discussed the Clay Bird Lane controversy during the interview. He blamed former Councilman Mark Saracino for making the issue appear worse than it was. Saracino was Fulgenzi’s running mate in 2023 and resigned in protest in late June. Fulgenzi said his office was working with the Department of Environmental Conservation to address the problem. He said Saracino’s actions made it look like officials were doing nothing. Fulgenzi also defended the town’s development record. He rejected Democratic claims that Mount Pleasant has been overdeveloped. He pointed to the Amazon distribution facility as a positive example, noting it contributes nearly $2 million to the school district. He also defended the Toll Brothers project. He said all projects worked on through the Industrial Development Agency or the town board were designed to help control local taxes.

Fulgenzi has been a fixture in Mount Pleasant politics for decades. He first won a Town Board seat in 1989 and served from 1990 to 1993. He returned to the board in 2007 and became supervisor in 2014 after Joan Maybury resigned. He is currently 72 years old. He serves as the chairman of the Mount Pleasant Industrial Development Agency. He also remains active in the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club. Fulgenzi said he does not plan to sit at home if the results hold. He may look for another job to stay involved in local affairs.

Fulgenzi was surprised by the size of Abinanti’s margin. He noted that Abinanti lost Democratic primary challenges to MaryJane Shimsky in 2022 and 2024. Abinanti had represented the 92nd District for a dozen years before losing to Shimsky. Fulgenzi said he is unsure of Nelson’s local experience, describing her as a nice lady with no town involvement until the past year. He noted that Democrats outnumber Republicans in the town by roughly two to one. He said many Democrats have supported him in the past. He believes he would not have won previous elections if only Republicans had voted.

Councilman Joe Bonanno won a Town Board seat in 2025. Many local Democrats viewed that victory as a breakthrough. Fulgenzi called Bonanno a nice guy who works well with the board. If the current trends hold, Democrats will hold three of the five Town Board seats. Abinanti, Nelson, and Bonanno would replace Fulgenzi and Wind. Republicans Danielle Zaino and Thomas Sialiano would remain on the board. Fulgenzi did not think the Democratic sweep would guarantee long-term control. He attributed the margins to Trump’s divisive personality.

Gail Wind said she wanted to wait until all votes were counted before commenting. A countywide voting machine malfunction occurred on Tuesday. The Westchester County Board of Elections will manually tally thousands of emergency paper ballots. The count will happen under bipartisan oversight. Fulgenzi said he hopes the Democrats follow through on their promises to help the town move forward. He said this is his home and he would hate to see it go in the wrong direction.

The Examiner published a separate article earlier today. It shared reactions from Mount Pleasant Democrats. The candidates detailed their own analysis of the election results in that piece.