Sound Shore

Port Chester Trustee John Branca has declined the Conservative Party’s nomination to run for mayor, the village clerk said today. That leaves one challenger, Republican nominee and fellow Trustee Bart Didden, against Democratic Mayor Dennis Pilla.

The Conservatives have until Wednesday to make their choice. The party’s “committee to fill vacancies,” typically made up of three people, will decide how to fill the slot, Clerk Joan Mancuso said. Branca, a former mayor, won the Conservative endorsement by a party vote of 20-19 last week over Didden, who is a registered Conservative.

But theoretically, the slot could be filled with yet another person. Could we see a return of the mysterious candidate “Fluffy”?

Update: Branca said today, “I felt I could be much more effective as a trustee,” adding that he was mindful of the long hours required of him as mayor and the fact that he will soon turn 65. He was not making any endorsements yet. “I’d like to see how the campaign unfolds,” he said.