2026 New York General Election

NOMINATED
John F. Bourges

PUTNAM COUNTY CORONER

Incumbent Putnam County Coroner and Carmel resident. Retired NYPD detective, U.S. Army Reserve captain who served in Iraq, and former coordinator of Putnam’s Dwyer veteran peer-support program.

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Carmel New York GOP

Bourges has been actively involved in various veterans' organizations and has worked tirelessly to support fellow veterans and their families. He is a member of the American Legion and has volunteered with numerous local charities.

Harckham Honors John Bourges with NYS Veterans Hall of Fame

John F. Bourges lives in Carmel. He is a member of the American Legion and has volunteered with local charities.

Carmel NY Republicans

Harckham Honors John Bourges for NYS Veterans Hall of Fame ...

Incumbent Putnam County Coroner and Carmel resident. Retired NYPD detective, U.S. Army Reserve captain who served in Iraq, and former coordinator of Putnam’s Dwyer veteran peer-support program.

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Experience:
- Coroner, Putnam County · 2015 to now
- Program Coordinator, Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Outreach Program · 2015 to 2021
- Charge Nurse/Flow Coordinator, Northern Westchester Hospital · 2008 to 2018

John F. Bourges Candidate Profile

John F. Bourges is a retired New York City Police Department detective. He previously served as a U.S. Army Reserve captain in Iraq, coordinated Putnam’s Dwyer veteran peer-support program, and worked as a charge nurse and flow coordinator at Northern Westchester Hospital.

John F. Bourges for Putnam County Coroner, New York (2026) | Sway

Michael J. Nesheiwat, M.D.
County Coroner
112 Old Route 6
Carmel, NY 10512
(845) 808-4025

John F. Bourges
County Coroner
112 Old Route 6
Carmel, NY 10512

Putnam County Elected Officials

John currently serves as a Putnam County coroner and has held the office since 2015.

Elected Officials - Putnam County, New York

As of October 28, 2026, John F. Bourges did not have a website or any information online.

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John F. Bourges

As of October 28, 2026, John F. Bourges’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

I am a board member and life member of the Carmel Volunteer Fire Department, and I volunteer with the Fraternal Order of Police, the Free and Accepted Masons, the Shriners, and Rotary.

Michael J. Nesheiwat for Putnam County Coroner

Michael J. Nesheiwat is a board member and life member of the Carmel Volunteer Fire Department and volunteers with the Fraternal Order of Police, the Free and Accepted Masons, the Shriners, and Rotary.

Michael J. Nesheiwat works as the Commissioner of Health.

Michael has served as the Putnam County Coroner since 2005.

Michael J. Nesheiwat, MD, the county’s interim health commissioner, agreed, adding, “From the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, to the most consequential pandemic of our times, these volunteers are instrumental in our ability to respond to emergencies. This program and their efforts are most effective when individual residents also take the time and take actions to be prepared. When everyone’s efforts come together, we are much safer and stronger than we would be otherwise.”

Putnam County's Medical Reserve Corps Honored by Legislature

My accomplishments with the Health Department, the firehouse, and the Coroner’s Office.

Updated the coroner’s section of the Major Emergencies plan. Supplies and protective equipment are on hand.

The training

Every coroner will finish Incident Command training. We will hold a major-emergencies course. I will keep the spring and fall NYSACCME conferences.

Advocates for residents to prepare for emergencies alongside volunteer responders.

As county coroner, updated the coroner section of the major-emergencies plan and maintains supplies and protective equipment.

Plans for every coroner to complete training in emergency incident management and for the office to offer a course on major emergencies.

- Advocates for residents to prepare for emergencies alongside volunteer responders.
- As county coroner, updated the coroner section of the major-emergencies plan and maintains supplies and protective equipment.
- Plans for every coroner to complete training in emergency incident management and for the office to offer a course on major emergencies.

Reporting of overdose and suicide figures to the County Executive, the Legislature, the Sheriff’s Office, Social Services, the Health Department, and the Prevention Council of Putnam. We also work with the District Attorney’s office, which uses them for its HIDTA grant.

With Mental Health

The talks about earlier help for depression and anxiety will continue. So will my place on the Suicide Task Force.

Fifth term as coroner.

Recertified through September 2028. Incident commander for the county’s COVID-19 response since December 2019.

Reports overdose and suicide data to county agencies and coordinates with the district attorney's office on its grant from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.

Plans to continue discussions about earlier help for depression and anxiety and to remain on the Suicide Task Force.

Served as incident commander for the county's COVID-19 response.

- Reports overdose and suicide data to county agencies and coordinates with the district attorney's office on its grant from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.
- Plans to continue discussions about earlier help for depression and anxiety and to remain on the Suicide Task Force.
- Served as incident commander for the county's COVID-19 response.

Michael J. Nesheiwat

- As county coroner, updated the coroner section of the major-emergencies plan and maintains supplies and protective equipment.
- Plans for every coroner to complete training in emergency incident management and for the office to offer a course on major emergencies.

Dr. Michael Strauss, currently a practicing Internist, completed his medical education in Brussels, Belgium in 1980. He practiced internal medicine in New York City at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai where he served as site director of the Department of Medicine and then as Chief Medical Officer of the facility for several years.

About — Strauss4PutnamCounty

He and his wife have lived in Putnam Valley since 2019.

Dr. Strauss received training to become an Emergency Medical Technician through the Putnam County Department of Emergency Services and now volunteers weekly as an EMT with the Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Subsequent to his service at New York Eye and Ear, Dr. Strauss began a practice of internal medicine at the Project Renewal shelter for homeless men in New York City where he developed expertise in the care of disadvantaged patients challenged with addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs.

He and his wife have lived in Putnam Valley since 2019.

Dr. Strauss has two grown children and three grandchildren. His current focus in life is to thankfully give back to the community from which he received so much.

Michael L. Strauss completed his medical education in Brussels, Belgium, in 1980. He volunteers weekly as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corps. He lives with his wife in Putnam Valley and has two grown children and three grandchildren.

Subsequent to his service at New York Eye and Ear, Dr. Strauss began a practice of internal medicine at the Project Renewal shelter for homeless men in New York City where he developed expertise in the care of disadvantaged patients challenged with addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs.

Michael L. Strauss currently practices as an internist. He previously practiced internal medicine at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, where he served as site director of the Department of Medicine and chief medical officer, and at the Project Renewal shelter for homeless men in New York City.

Michael L. Strauss currently practices internal medicine.

According to Strauss, the coroner should initiate direct dialogue with the community about the threats that face it and how to respond, and “an educated and informed community can better protect itself and advocate for itself.”

Strauss Announces Run for Coroner

Calls for the coroner to engage residents directly about community threats and how to respond.

- Calls for the coroner to engage residents directly about community threats and how to respond.

In this context, I would like to suggest that the functions of the Putnam County Coroner's office be considered for expansion from its traditional role to one which includes supporting improvements in the healthcare delivery system and public health. The Coroner is in a unique position with unique knowledge that can be funneled back into the health system to improve our lives and our health.

Opinions - Michael Strauss, Candidate for Putnam County Coroner

“Taking what the coroners learn during their investigations and bringing that knowledge back into the community and applying it to improving our healthcare system should be part of the coroner’s role,” he said. “And there are many ways to do that.”

One measure could be to create public facing presentations on the office website or other platforms for dissemination of important and timely health information. The platform could be designed to facilitate dialogue. Webinars could be created.

The platform could be designed to facilitate dialogue. Webinars could be created. These measures, among others, could be a meaningful outreach to the public. Such efforts by the Coroner could be coordinated with County departments and community organizations to foster public education and awareness that would lead to better public and personal health.

Likewise, like some Coroner or Medical Examiner offices in NYS and elsewhere, the Putnam County Coroner should provide input into the creation and implementation of healthcare policy in order to render healthcare more efficient and more accessible for all.

Al reflexionar sobre el papel del forense en la salud pública, solicito que publiquen la siguiente información cada vez que se mencione el suicidio en su periódico:

“¿Estás atravesando una crisis? Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al 988, o envía la palabra TALK al 741741.”

Dr. Michael Strauss
Putnam Valley

Opiniones — Strauss4PutnamCounty

Advocates expanding the coroner’s role to use findings from investigations to improve healthcare delivery and public health.

Proposes public health presentations and webinars coordinated with county departments and community organizations.

Calls for the county coroner to help create and implement healthcare policy to make care more efficient and accessible.

Calls for newspapers to publish 988 and crisis-text resources whenever they mention suicide.

- Advocates expanding the coroner’s role to use findings from investigations to improve healthcare delivery and public health.
- Proposes public health presentations and webinars coordinated with county departments and community organizations.
- Calls for the county coroner to help create and implement healthcare policy to make care more efficient and accessible.
- Calls for newspapers to publish 988 and crisis-text resources whenever they mention suicide.

Putnam County Coroner

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