Rye Democratic City Councilman Josh Nathan is pledging to address sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and control city spending if he’s elected mayor.
Nathan, 59, has officially launched his bid for mayor on the Democratic line. He’s running alongside three other Democrats seeking council seats: incumbent Councilman James Ward, 57, and political newcomers Amy Kesavan, 47, and Marion Anderson, 69.
“This has been a ticket that has been in the making,” Nathan said about the Democratic slate. “I think Rye will be very well served.”
Nathan, who has lived in Rye just short of 25 years, served on the Rye Board of Education for nine years, including as president from 2008-2011. After his time on the board, he lost his first bid for City Council.
Following Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, Nathan was appointed to the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery as a Rye representative. Professionally, he has had his own law practice since 2012.
Nathan was elected to the Rye City Council in a 2021 special election, after former Councilwoman Pam Tarlow announced she’d be moving out of town. He then was re-elected in 2023.
Running for mayor was not always the plan, Nathan told The Record.
“I ran to serve and now we’re at a place where it makes sense for me to lead,” he said. “That’s the driver: How do I best serve Rye?”
Nathan said his mayoral platform will be like his campaign for council.
“It’s the same idea each time,” he told The Record. “It’s comprehensive planning really tuned into flood mitigation and storm resilience, and sustainable infrastructure to serve us going forward.”
Responsible city budgeting is another one of Nathan’s top priorities.
The Democrat said his experience helping manage the finances of the school district while serving on the school board is a position he’s “comfortable” in, and that will translate well to the city.
“That real sense of fiscal stewardship is a key driver,” Nathan said. “We can accomplish so much here with the resources we have, and we can absolutely control costs.”
A primary election isn’t expected in June, as incumbent Mayor Josh Cohn — who is no longer affiliated with the local Democratic Party — has confirmed to The Record that he will not be seeking re-election.
The Rye Republicans have not announced their candidate for mayor, though it’s widely believed that Nathan will face off against fellow Councilman Bill Henderson. Republicans also have not announced their slate for the three other open council seats.
This story has been updated.
