Two-term Cold Spring Mayor D. Angelo Penque is facing a challenger in the November election in longtime resident Stephen Cunningham.
“I did not take this decision lightly,” Cunningham said. “The question for me was always whether or not I can help our city improve. After seeking counsel with dozens of tax paying citizens, I believe we can get better. I applaud our current mayor. He has accomplished a lot in his two terms of office. I want what is best for my kids, my wife, my neighbors and all in the city I call home. I will work hard on this campaign, and I will work hard as mayor if voters grant me the opportunity.”
Penque is running on his record as mayor.
“Since 2015, the administration has done much to fulfill my campaign promises of bringing smart-growth to the community, improving quality of life with our new park and city events, and enhancing the safety of our city with one of the most impressive police departments in our area,” Penque said. “As fulltime mayor, under my leadership, we were able to bring in 43 new businesses to Cold Spring with payroll tax increases of 19 percent related to the growth. These, along with our existing businesses, have allowed Cold Spring to forego any tax increases and in fact, reduce real estate taxes.”
About Stephen Cunningham
Cunningham grew up in Campbell County and has lived in Cold Spring for 17 years. He serves as treasurer of the Campbell County Republican Party.
“In my mind, more importantly, I am the chairman for our Fundraising and Events Committee,” Cunningham said. “I almost single-handedly executed our Winter Mixer fundraiser at the Syndicate. It was essentially a Lincoln-Reagan Dinner,” he said, referencing a common name given to Republican Party annual fundraising dinners. “I also handled our fundraising golf outing. All told, we raised over $10k between the two events.”
The candidate drove a truck from 2008 to 2010 and still holds a commercial driver’s license. He is also a PGA golf professional and served as assistant professional under Terry Jolly at the A.J. Jolly Golf Course from 2011 to 2017.
Cunningham moved on to the Old Pendleton Country Club in Butler in 2018, where he said he played a large role in saving the course from bankruptcy. Because of his work on behalf of Pendleton Hills, he was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 for contributions to the golf business.
He retired in 2021 to become a stay-at-home dad for his two small children. His wife, Danielle, is a pediatrician.
About D. Angelo Penque
Penque spent 30 years in law enforcement as a detective for the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and as chief of police for Middleburg, Virginia. While serving in D.C., he was awarded a Meritorious Service Award and 11 commendations for outstanding police work. Because of this work, he said, he was entrusted to protect several high-profile individuals.
After retiring from police work, he transitioned to a second career in hospitality, first as assistant general manager of a group of six restaurants at Bryce Resorts in Basye, Virginia. Later, he took over management of the resort’s ski and golf operations. He then became general manager for a resort in Pennsylvania before opening his own bar and restaurant in Virginia.
During his tenure as mayor, he said, fiscal management of the city made available funds for the city’s parks and safety — most notably, the creation of Barth Park.
“While many wanted to fill in the lake behind Cracker Barrel, I fought to keep the lake, and Barth Park is now a wonderful new addition to our city, one that is utilized daily by many residents and was developed at very minimal cost to the residents,” Penque said. “In addition to the Barth Lake Park, I felt that Cold Spring would be served by an event center, new police station and amphitheater… Families look to Cold Spring to provide opportunities for community involvement and entertainment. My goal has been to provide something for everyone in the city, to encourage all residents to come together and have community pride.”