Like Mother, Like Daughter — Both Running for Office This Fall in Westchester

By Miriam Gold

One frigid night in February, Holly Perlowitz and her daughter Cory Krall found themselves doing the same thing in different communities: asking neighbors for signatures to earn their spots on the ballot.

It’s not every day a mother and daughter run for office in the same election—let alone in municipalities so close to each other.

“It’s kind of fun for us,” Perlowitz, who is running unopposed, said in a recent interview with The Examiner. “I like being on the same journey with her at the same time.”

This fall, that journey takes them both to the local campaign trail. Perlowitz, a 38-year Ossining resident, is seeking a third term this November as the town’s Receiver of Taxes. Krall, an education consultant and mother of two, is running for trustee in the Village of Sleepy Hollow in what she expects to be a contested election.

Captain Cory

Krall, a Democrat like her mother, has always been a leader. In middle school she was elected field hockey team captain. She also held that position in high school while serving as captain of her gymnastics team.

Perlowitz, 67, described her daughter in an email as “a person who is competent but also considerate and likeable.”

Krall, for her part, brings that competence to her company, CK Collaborative, which helps schools with recruiting students and enrollment.

Perlowitz was born in Brooklyn, and grew up in Rockland County before moving to Ossining. A certified public accountant (CPA), she’s worked in finance for more than a quarter century and has served on the town’s affordable housing organization board.

In 2017, the Tax Receiver of Ossining at the time retired with six months left in her term. Perlowitz said she was encouraged by another community member to apply to fill out the rest of the term. She was ultimately appointed to the job and decided to run for reelection when her first term was over.

The first time Perlowitz ran for reelection was “very frightening.” She had never run a campaign before. As she spent more time in public, she said she was able to “get more comfortable and secure.”

“I love my job,” Perlowitz said, because she frequently sees people she knows come into her office and because her position “fits my background very well.” 

She emphasized that she has no influence over tax law but wants her taxpayers to feel cared about. 

“I provide them with information in a way that allows them to have what they need,” said Perlowitz, who also serves as treasurer of the Ossining Micro Fund, a nonprofit that helps support families in Ossining and Sleepy Hollow with interest-free loans and financial education.

If reelected to a third term, she hopes to take advantage of new technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to make her office more efficient.

Perlowitz, married for 42 years, has three children, including Krall.

Following in Her Mother’s Footsteps

Krall, raised in Ossining, has a master’s degree in education from Harvard. The 38-year-old ultimately moved to Sleepy Hollow, where she lives with her husband and two children, ages seven and five.

Like Perlowitz, Krall did not always want to be an elected official. She said she was encouraged to run for village trustee by friends involved in local politics and by her husband.

Krall said that her mother loves her job, which in part inspired her to run for village trustee. She learned from her mother that “you can use your office for good.”

Krall said she wants Sleepy Hollow to remain a great place to raise a family. She values the village’s public schools, where both her children attend and participate in a dual-language program that teaches students in both English and Spanish.

Plans for Growth and Sustainability

Krall wants to explore other ways to raise revenue for the village without increasing taxes on residents. For example, she suggested “having tourists pay for parking” during the busy Halloween season, when Sleepy Hollow attracts many visitors for its famous festivities.

Krall bemoaned downtown Sleepy Hollow’s many empty storefronts and wants to make it easier to open new businesses.

As for Perlowitz, she is both proud of her daughter’s ambitions — and admits she still feels a bit nervous.

When asked how she feels about Krall running for office, Perlowitz replied, “As your mother, I am beaming with pride, but I am worried as well.” 

She recognizes the likely challenges ahead for her daughter, knowing firsthand the demands of public service.

“She is going to have to work really hard,” Perlowitz said, adding: “I know how demanding the work of a public office can be.”