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WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. When Peter Harckham and Peter Michaelis squared off for the District 2 county Board of Legislators seat in 2007, Michaelis lost by a scant 365 votes. Four years later, the two are battling it out again for the post that represents Somers, Bedford, Mount Kisco, North Salem, Lewisboro, and Pound Ridge.
Harckham, the incumbent Democrat, is a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley, having grown up in Rockland County. He moved to Katonah along with his wife, Janet, who is now a member of the Kat-Lewisboro School Board, in 1991. They have two daughters, Emma, 16, and Kate, 13, who attend the Katonah-Lewisboro public schools.
He has been a communications professional since 1983 when he started his career on Madison Avenue and worked 10 years for major advertising agencies. Today, he is president of Harckham Media Group, LLC, a strategic partnership of advertising, communications and production professionals. He owns and manages K&E Farms, a small horse farm in Katonah
The legislator also serves on the President's Council for the Northern Westchester Hospital, is a board member for the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Junior League of Northern Westchester Community Advisory Council, and the ALOFT Livable Communities Council.
Michaelis, the Republican challenger, has lived in Bedford for 22 years. He has been married to his wife Victoria for 21 years, and they have two boys, Peter, 19, and Drew, 17.
He is originally from Cambridge Mass., and Washington D.C. Michaelis has had a long career as a journalist at ABC News and CBS News working on such shows as World News Tonight, This Week with David Brinkley, Nightline, and Good Morning America at ABC. At CBS, he was a producer on a show called West 57th.
Michaelis has travelled extensively as a producer, both nationally and internationally. He has been involved in Bedford town government for more than 15 years serving on the Conservation Board, and the Tree Advisory Board. He is currently a Zoning Board of Appeals member, and chair of the Communications Committee. He is also part of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and has been involved in writing Bedford's comprehensive plan.
We sat down with both candidates to get their points of view on the current issues facing Westchester County and the towns represented by District 2. To view our interview with Peter Harckham, click on http://www.thedailylewisboro.com/news/harckham-proud-his-legislative-record. To read our conversation with Peter Michaelis, click on http://www.thedailylewisboro.com/news/michaelis-i%E2%80%99ll-provide-real-tax-relief.
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