André Wallace

Wallace was born in The Bronx, New York and moved to Mount Vernon to start his construction management firm after attending college.

On Friday, January 8, 2021, Wallace was nearly killed when an elderly woman lost control of her Jeep and drove into a bagel shop almost hitting him. Wallace jumped out of the way seconds before he was hit and was rushed to the hospital. He survived and was left with a back injury.[3][4]

From 2016 until 2019, Wallace served as a member of the Mount Vernon City Council. In 2019, he served as City Council President.

During the same year, Wallace launched his bid for mayor but finished last in the Democratic primary for mayor behind former Police Commissioner Clyde Isley, former Mayor Richard Thomas and Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard.[5][6][7]

In November 2020, Wallace announced he would run again for the Mount Vernon City Council.[8]

In July 2019, 36-year-old Mayor Richard Thomas pleaded guilty to fourth-degree attempted grand larceny and second-degree offering a false instrument for filing. In court, he admitted that he misappropriated $12,900 from his campaign committee in 2015, failed to report on a particular campaign finance filing his receipt of $4,000 of that money and he falsely claimed a $2,500 payment as a reimbursement for campaign expenses.[9]

As a result, Wallace became acting mayor in July but was then removed by the city council a month after by voting on a new council president mid-year.[10] On August 12, 2019, New York State Supreme Court Judge Ecker ruled that Wallace is acting mayor and that he should serve the rest of Thomas' term.[11][12][13]