On January 8, White Plains Common Council Member Justin Brasch announced his candidacy for mayor of the City of White Plains. New York State Senator Shelley Mayer introduced Brasch as a person of integrity with the ability to get things done, and who has made connections and inroads into the community of White Plains through participation in every type of community event.
“Justin is at every event in every community; he shows up. You go where people disagree. You go where you have to listen. You go where you try to make common ground with people who have differences,” said Mayer.
She also described Brasch as a person of integrity and honesty. “His word is good; his motives are good. He’ll be an extraordinary mayor. I’m here to show my strong support.”
Brasch said he was taught at home about the power and responsibility of public service. “My mother always said we have an obligation to get up in the morning and do our part to make the world a better place. In the words of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?’ I’ve always tried to do for others through my work in government, politics and public service.”
On his start in politics and government, interning at the age of 17 for then-Congressman Ted Weiss on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Brasch said he saw “how government can solve problems for real people. The staff worked tirelessly to help immigrants, people [who were] denied Social Security and Medicare [benefits], and families facing food and housing insecurity. Congressman Weiss taught us to work for an honest, responsive government and help the most vulnerable.”
Brasch said, learning from his experiences working for Congressman Weiss, “I served on the New York State Democratic Committee’s executive committee, the New York City Sierra Club’s political committee, and as a board member of the mid-Manhattan NAACP. Since moving to White Plains, I have served on the budget committee for Westchester County, the planning board for the City of White Plains, the school board’s budget committee, as president of the common council and chair of the youth bureau.”
As Brasch announced his candidacy, he shared that he felt a tremendous responsibility to proceed correctly. “If the voters choose to honor me with this position, it’s something I’m sincerely looking forward to. I plan to lead my campaign as I will lead the city, bringing people together, creating an inclusive movement, facing challenges head-on, uplifting the most vulnerable in our community, increasing affordable housing, making our city sustainable, building a better future for your youth, creating more accessible parks and green spaces and improving our climate resiliency.
“We must continue to work with our police to keep our community safe and build strong police community relations and enhance accountability. Everyone in our community deserves to feel safe, protected and respected in our neighborhoods,” he added.
“We must keep taxes down, protect our suburban neighborhoods and urban centers, support our small businesses and expand our business improvement district,” Brasch continued. “Our city, as we all know, is the gold standard in delivering services. We need to continue and build on that.”
Brasch plans to build an intergenerational community center. “We need a better place for our seniors, youth and other communities. As mayor, I will make sure to bring everyone together under one roof, a state-of-the-art facility to enhance programming for all. I take great pride that our city does so much for so many while maintaining a fiscally responsible, extremely high bond rating, and always keeping taxes under the 2% tax cap. I will continue this fiscal responsibility.
“My record shows I represent everyone and always put people first,” he added. “I am committed to honest government, a sustainable future and a community free from hatred and intolerance. We’re going to make our unique, diverse and special city even better. Onward and upward to victory.”
In attendance were Assemblymember Chris Burdick; County Legislature Majority Leader Tyrae Woodson Samuels; County Legislators Judah Holstein and Terry Clements; White Plains Council President Victoria Presser, Councilmembers John Martin and Rich Payne, and White Plains Democratic Chair Tim James.
Brasch graduated from Hunter College High School, Williams College and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, in addition to a junior year abroad at Oxford University. On the White Plains Common Council, Brasch is currently chair of the board of the White Plains Youth Bureau and a Member of the Budget and Management Advisory Committee. Residents of White Plains since 2003, Brasch and his wife, Juli, are members of the Hebrew Institute of White Plains and the Young Israel of White Plains. They are proud parents of alumni of Westchester Day School, SAR, Frisch and Ma’ayanot.
