Margaret Cunzio

Margaret A. Cunzio is an American elected official, educator, fitness professional, and volunteer firefighter serving as Minority Leader of the Westchester County Board of Legislators since 2020. A member of the Conservative Party of New York State, she has represented the 3rd district since 2016, winning six consecutive elections as the sole Conservative on a board composed of 15 Democrats, 1 Republican, and 1 Conservative.

Cunzio represents the communities of North Castle, Mount Pleasant, Pleasantville, and Sleepy Hollow. Her legislative work has spanned public safety, animal welfare, veterans' affairs, and consumer protection, with many measures enacted into law including legislation banning deepfakes, establishing food allergy safety requirements for restaurants, and expanding protections for survivors of domestic violence. She also holds a Firefighter 1 certification and serves as a volunteer interior firefighter with the Thornwood Fire Department, and has championed legislation to expand property tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.

Early life and education

Cunzio grew up in Armonk in Westchester County. She attended Byram Hills High School and earned a BA in Journalism and Criminal Justice from Iona University, a MS in Education from Fordham University, and a professional diploma in Educational Administration from Mercy College. She worked as an elementary school teacher before becoming a college Professor.

Election and tenure

Cunzio was first elected to the Westchester County Board of Legislators in November 2015, representing District 3, and took office in January 2016. She has won re-election five times and is currently serving her sixth term. Since January 2020, she has served as Minority Leader.

Committee assignments

As of 2026, Cunzio serves on five committees: Appointments, Legislation, Public Safety & Veterans, Rules, and Seniors & Youth. She has served as Co-Chair of the Rules Committee (2020–present) and Vice Chair of the Public Safety Committee (2020–2021, 2024–2025).

Legislation

Over her tenure, Cunzio has authored or co-sponsored legislation across multiple policy areas, with many measures enacted into law.

In 2018, she introduced legislation to give service-disabled veteran-owned businesses at least 6% of county contracts, which was signed into law by County Executive George Latimer.

In 2019, she co-authored bipartisan legislation with Legislator Kitley Covill (D) to modernize precious metals dealer tracking to combat stolen goods tied to the opioid epidemic.

In 2020, she co-sponsored resolutions with Legislators MaryJane Shimsky (D) and Alfreda Williams (D) to expand voting access by placing ballot boxes at early voting locations and municipal buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, the Food Allergy Restaurant Safety Law she co-sponsored was enacted, requiring restaurants to follow food allergy safety protocols throughout Westchester County.

In 2023, she sponsored lithium-ion battery fire safety legislation, drawing on her experience as a volunteer firefighter. That year, she also co-sponsored a bipartisan paid parental leave resolution for unrepresented county employees, which received all 17 co-sponsors on the Board.

In 2024, she co-sponsored legislation prohibiting the unlawful use of digitally deceptive material, including deepfakes and AI-generated content, which was enacted as a local law in February 2025. She also sponsored an act establishing safety measures for survivors of domestic violence in county services.

In 2025, she co-sponsored the Epi Pen "Giovanni Cipriano" Act, named for a constituent, expanding epinephrine access requirements, and the DIAPRS Act establishing a diaper assistance program. Both were enacted into law.

Cunzio also authored the Dog Anti-Tethering Law and worked to strengthen the county's Animal Abuse Registry.

Historic preservation

Cunzio led efforts to preserve and restore the Miller House, a Revolutionary War-era historic site in North White Plains. County Executive Latimer personally congratulated her during his 2018 State of the County address, making her the only individual legislator singled out for praise. At the 2019 ribbon-cutting, North Castle Supervisor Michael Schiliro (D) thanked Cunzio for "continuing to push from day one for more money in the budget."

Bipartisan work

Despite serving as Minority Leader on a board with a 15–2 Democratic supermajority, Cunzio has frequently co-sponsored legislation with Democratic colleagues. The Examiner News described her as "a Conservative hailed for her bipartisan approach," noting that she had been "applauded by members of both sides of the aisle for working well with her colleagues and County Executive George Latimer." Her most frequent legislative partner has been MaryJane Shimsky (D), now a member of the New York State Assembly, with whom she co-authored measures on animal welfare, infrastructure, and voting access. She has been endorsed for re-election by the New York League of Conservation Voters, the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO, and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. She participated in every county budget signing from 2020 to 2023, supporting budgets that passed unanimously with no property tax increases.

In 2020, Democratic County Executive George Latimer credited Cunzio for "tremendous advocacy" in defeating Connecticut's proposed tolls on Interstate 684, listing her alongside Democratic state senators and town supervisors. In 2025, County Executive Ken Jenkins (D) addressed her in his State of the County address, stating: "We won't always agree, but we'll always respect each other — as colleagues, and more importantly, as friends."

Voting record

Cunzio has voted against the Board's Democratic majority on several occasions. She opposed the Board's 2022–2023 redistricting maps and related legal settlements, and voted against the 2025 and 2026 county budgets.

Firefighting

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cunzio completed over 100 hours of training at the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services and earned her Firefighter 1 certification, joining the Thornwood Fire Department as a volunteer interior firefighter — one of few sitting elected officials in Westchester County to hold the credential. Her firsthand experience as a firefighter has directly informed her legislative work on public safety, including lithium-ion battery fire safety legislation, equipment grants for volunteer fire departments, and expanded property tax exemptions for volunteer first responders.

Community involvement

Cunzio is a board member of ArtsWestchester and Arc Stages, and a member of the Pleasantville Rotary Club. She has personally transported and rehomed more than 270 animals from the Outer Banks to Westchester County. She comes from a military family with two cousins serving in the United States Air Force.

In 2021, she served on the United Westchester Executive Committee to produce 42 recommendations for improving utility company storm response following Tropical Storm Isaias. In 2025, she co-sponsored legislation challenging Con Edison's proposed double-digit rate increases for Westchester residents, which was signed by County Executive Jenkins. That same year, she sponsored a resolution supporting the designation of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway in Westchester County, which passed the Board.

External links

• Official page at the Westchester County Board of Legislators