Pelham Trustee Chance Mullen has declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Village of Pelham mayor, while Lisa Hill-Ries and Mike Carpenter are seeking the party’s endorsement for two of three trustee seats on the ballot and Ariel Spira-Cohen is running for re-election as trustee.

Mullen is seeking to become mayor after a two-year term on the Pelham Board of Trustees. Others may still declare their candidacies before the Village of Pelham Democratic caucus Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. in the Daronco Town House. If no other candidates come forward, this will be the Democrat’s slate for the village elections in March.

Mullen said with big changes in the community on the horizon such as the building of the new Hutchinson School, he feels he has the tools to address the critical needs in Pelham and lay a foundation for the village’s success.

“I’m enormously grateful for the last two years this community has given me to serve as trustee, and I’m excited by the possibility of serving as the next mayor and continuing to move Pelham forward,” said Mullen in an emailed statement. He said he understands the growing importance of constructive leadership given the major changes and real estate projects that are coming to Pelham. Voters can learn more about his focus for the next two years at www.PelhamForward.com.

In an emailed statement, Hill-Ries, a five-year resident of Pelham, said, “My five years in the Junior League of Pelham, and especially my year spent as president of the organization, prepared me with invaluable training to identify needs in the village while providing me with the tools to address them. I’m ready to get to work. As Pelham continues to move forward in this 21st-century world, I am the right person to help make the hard decisions we often face as a community.”

Carpenter said he wants to improve Pelham’s downtown and make it a more sustainable and vibrant center of life. Carpenter has served on the Pelham Planning Board for the last four years and said he can bring what he learned in that experience to the village board.

“I can provide valuable insight as we move Pelham forward, working to bring our infrastructure into the 21st century, all while maintaining our small town charm for generations yet to come,” said Carpenter in an emailed statement.

In seeking another term on the village board, Spira-Cohen said she values promotion of sustainability and a more inclusive and participatory government. She said she will bring a great deal of experience to the position after serving the last two years, during which she faced challenges with aging infrastructure and key management changes such as the new police chief, superintendent of public works and village administrator.

In the last two years, Spira-Cohen has worked to bring Solarize to Pelham. She also enrolled the village in the LED streetlights consortium, saving taxpayer dollars on utility costs and reducing emissions from fossil fuels. She also led the creation of the village’s Sustainability Advisory Board.

“I am a homeowner concerned with the tax burden on myself, my friends and neighbors,” Spira-Cohen said in an emailed statement. “I’m a parent of two young children who call this village home. And I’m an environmental professional who is passionate about ensuring we put Pelham at the forefront of sustainability issues.”