Former Ossining Deputy Mayor to Challenge Carlucci
Republican Janis Castaldi, a former Ossining trustee and deputy mayor, has thrown her hat in the ring to challenge incumbent State Senator David Carlucci.
Castaldi said she plans to “stick up for the residents of both counties” and focus on easing the tax burden placed on the newly reformed 38th Senate District.
“I felt strongly that somebody had to enter the race and someone from Westchester County — as well as someone who can represent the people in Rockland who find the redistricting a little disturbing,” she said.
The redrawn district now includes Ossining as well as the Rockland County towns of Ramapo, Orangetown and Clarkstown.
Westchester Republican Committee Chairman said in a press release that he’s excited to have Castaldi as his party’s nominee.
“Janis is a local business owner who has dedicated her life to community service,” he said. “As a trustee, she was committed to finding ways to curb spending so that our taxpayers do not have any additional burden, while making sure we continue to keep the quality of village services at a level our residents deserve.”
Castaldi owns LizzFitness in Ossining and is a member of the board of the Ossining Children’s Center. She’s also a corporate trainer, life coach and motivational speaker, as well as the Engage Life Director of the Atria on the Hudson facility.
Much of her drive comes from an incident when she was hit by a car as a pedestrian 10 years ago, Castaldi said. Though doctors told her she would never walk again, she said she now walks marathons.
“For me, I know what it takes to rebuild, to take it myself up from something down to nothing and back up to something again,” she said. “I’ve built businesses all throughout New York.”
Castaldi said her focus in the Senate would be to ensure that bills are beneficial for both counties, which she acknowledges have different needs and priorities.
“You are dealing with votes that can hurt one but not the other,” she said. “You have to be able to build consensus so there’s a middle ground.”
A major part of her campaign will be touring Rockland County and getting to know the issues that drive the communities there, Castaldi said.
Besides lowering taxes, Castaldi said she’s also passionate about building the “Main Streets” of communities in the district.
“We have to have a can-do attitude and find ways to make that happen.”
Representatives of Carlucci’s office did not return a request for comment by press time Monday.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
