Three announce plans to run for Allentown City Council
Three Democrats have announced plans to run for Allentown City Council.
They are Luis Acevedo, a board member for Star Community Health and Partnership, Jeremy Binder, a small business owner, and Cristian Pungo, a project engineer at Alvin H. Butz Inc.
All three must submit valid nomination petitions before being placed on the May 20 primary ballot. Circulation of petitions begins Feb. 18 and ends March 11.
Four seats are up on the seven-member council. They are currently occupied by Democrats Cynthia Mota, Daryl L. Hendricks, Natalie Santos and Ed Zucal, who is running for mayor. None could be reached about whether they will seek reelection.
Acevedo is a manager for RJ Walker and is president of the East Side Memorial Little League. He is married and has four children. He ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for council in 2023. If elected, he wants to invest in parks and recreation, affordable homes, the police and fire departments and nonprofits “that make an extreme difference in our city.”
Binder owns a security consulting company called Concentric Solutions that focuses on corporate, government, and educational clients.
“Every time we connect with one of our neighbors, we have an opportunity to build a stronger, kinder city,” Binder said in a press release. “As a City Councilor, I will work to equip local leaders with the resources they need to build these community connections.”
The graduate of Full Sail University in Florida previously served on the YMCA board in Allentown, on the IT/MIS committee for Valley Youth House and as an adviser for Speak Up Allentown. He served on the board of the West Park Civic Association in 2023 and 2024. Currently, Binder is treasurer for Ripple Church in Allentown. He also has served as judge of elections for Allentown 11-3.
Pungo is a 2020 graduate of Temple University. According to his Linkedin account, he is an emerging leader cabinet member for the United Way of Greater Lehigh Valley and a board member of the William Allen Art Alliance. His plans to run were listed on the Lehigh County Democratic Committee’s website.