Suffolk GOP expands control of county legislature
The Suffolk County Legislature's presiding officer, Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), at the Suffolk GOP election night headquarters at Stereo Garden in Patchogue on Tuesday. Credit: Newsday / Steve Pfost
Suffolk Republicans on Tuesday expanded their hold on the county legislature, according to unofficial election tallies.
The GOP flipped Democratic seats on the North Fork and northern Brookhaven on their way to achieving a veto-proof supermajority. Republicans, who held an 11-7 majority before the election, now control it 12-6.
Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), who was reelected to his 14th District seat, said the GOP gains, combined with Republican Edward P. Romaine's victory in the county executive's race, put the party in position to advance its agenda on issues such as crime, sewers and spending.
“It’s always good to have a supermajority, especially when we have a Republican county executive, who I know very well," McCaffrey said Wednesday morning. "This gives us the ability to put forward our agenda, which is a shared agenda with him. ... It puts the ball in our court to do the things we have said we’re going to do.”
With all precincts reporting, unofficial tallies showed Republican incumbents Leslie Kennedy, Trish Bergin, James Mazzarella, Nicholas Caracappa, Anthony Piccirillo, Steven Flotteron, Dominick Thorne and Robert Trotta, who was unopposed, held commanding leads over their Democratic challengers.
Republicans appeared to pull off upsets in the 1st District, which will be vacated by Democrat Al Krupski of Cutchogue, and the 6th District, represented by term-limited Legis. Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai).
In the 1st District, Republican Catherine L. Stark of Riverhead defeated Democrat Catherine A. Kent of Baiting Hollow, 53% to 47%, according to unofficial tallies.
In the 6th District, Republican Chad H. Lennon of Rocky Point beat Democrat Dorothy Cavalier of Mount Sinai, Anker's chief of staff, 61% to 39%.
In the 18th District, first-term Legis. Stephanie L. Bontempi (R-Centerport) held off a challenge from Democrat Eve A. Meltzer-Krief. Unofficial results Wednesday morning showed Bontempi leading Meltzer-Krief, 53% to 47%.
Democrats maintained control of a 5th District seat that was vacated by term-limited Kara Hahn in August. lt will be filled by former Assemb. Steven Englebright (D-Setauket), who began his political career in the county legislature nearly 40 years ago.
Democrats were poised to pick up a seat in the 16th District, where Democrat Rebecca L. Sanin of Huntington Station led first-term Legis. Manuel Esteban Sr. (R-East Northport), 53% to 47%.
Prior to Election Day, Sanin had faced a legal challenge from Republicans who tried to oust her from the ballot.
"There was an attempt to deny the voters to choose a candidate. I was thrilled to be on the ballot and so grateful for voters' faith in me, and I won't let them down," she said Tuesday night.
Minority leader Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) led Republican Richard Felix, 67% to 33%, in the 15th District race.
Suffolk Democratic chairman Rich Schaffer congratulated Englebright, Sanin, Ann Welker and incumbents Samuel J. Gonzalez and Thomas P. Donelly on their unofficial victories.
In the 2nd District, Welker, of Southampton, would replace Legis. Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), who did not seek reelection.
Across the county, 16,276 registered Democrats cast ballots early from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5, compared with 13,093 Republicans, according to data from the county elections board. Another 7,372 voters unaffiliated with a party voted early, along with 933 voters registered with other parties.
By 5 p.m. Tuesday, the elections board reported 129,610 people had cast ballots in Election Day voting. Of that total, there were 41,029 Democrats and 55,036 Republicans. Another 33,545 people from unaffiliated and other parties also voted Tuesday.
The combined early voting and Election Day balloting totaled 167,284 people as of 5 p.m., with voting by 68,131 Republicans and 57,305 Democrats, according to the county elections board.
There are 1,106,016 registered voters in Suffolk, according to the New York State Board of Elections.
Suffolk GOP chairman Jesse Garcia said turnout appeared to be between 27% and 30% as of about 9 p.m.
“That’s what the average county executive race is,” said Garcia, referring to the most high-profile race on this year's ballot.
Election officials were hoping to avoid a repeat of November 2022, when technical problems forced poll workers to drive dozens of computer chips to Board of Elections headquarters in Yaphank, leading to results that did not become available until after midnight.
Results started coming in around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Suffolk legislators serve part-time, 2-year terms with $107,051 salaries. The county's proposed budget for 2024 raises the salaries to $111,333.
With John Asbury and Robert Brodsky
Suffolk Republicans on Tuesday expanded their hold on the county legislature, according to unofficial election tallies.
The GOP flipped Democratic seats on the North Fork and northern Brookhaven on their way to achieving a veto-proof supermajority. Republicans, who held an 11-7 majority before the election, now control it 12-6.
Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), who was reelected to his 14th District seat, said the GOP gains, combined with Republican Edward P. Romaine's victory in the county executive's race, put the party in position to advance its agenda on issues such as crime, sewers and spending.
“It’s always good to have a supermajority, especially when we have a Republican county executive, who I know very well," McCaffrey said Wednesday morning. "This gives us the ability to put forward our agenda, which is a shared agenda with him. ... It puts the ball in our court to do the things we have said we’re going to do.”
With all precincts reporting, unofficial tallies showed Republican incumbents Leslie Kennedy, Trish Bergin, James Mazzarella, Nicholas Caracappa, Anthony Piccirillo, Steven Flotteron, Dominick Thorne and Robert Trotta, who was unopposed, held commanding leads over their Democratic challengers.
Republicans appeared to pull off upsets in the 1st District, which will be vacated by Democrat Al Krupski of Cutchogue, and the 6th District, represented by term-limited Legis. Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai).
In the 1st District, Republican Catherine L. Stark of Riverhead defeated Democrat Catherine A. Kent of Baiting Hollow, 53% to 47%, according to unofficial tallies.
In the 6th District, Republican Chad H. Lennon of Rocky Point beat Democrat Dorothy Cavalier of Mount Sinai, Anker's chief of staff, 61% to 39%.
In the 18th District, first-term Legis. Stephanie L. Bontempi (R-Centerport) held off a challenge from Democrat Eve A. Meltzer-Krief. Unofficial results Wednesday morning showed Bontempi leading Meltzer-Krief, 53% to 47%.
Democrats maintained control of a 5th District seat that was vacated by term-limited Kara Hahn in August. lt will be filled by former Assemb. Steven Englebright (D-Setauket), who began his political career in the county legislature nearly 40 years ago.
Democrats were poised to pick up a seat in the 16th District, where Democrat Rebecca L. Sanin of Huntington Station led first-term Legis. Manuel Esteban Sr. (R-East Northport), 53% to 47%.
Prior to Election Day, Sanin had faced a legal challenge from Republicans who tried to oust her from the ballot.
"There was an attempt to deny the voters to choose a candidate. I was thrilled to be on the ballot and so grateful for voters' faith in me, and I won't let them down," she said Tuesday night.
Minority leader Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) led Republican Richard Felix, 67% to 33%, in the 15th District race.
Suffolk Democratic chairman Rich Schaffer congratulated Englebright, Sanin, Ann Welker and incumbents Samuel J. Gonzalez and Thomas P. Donelly on their unofficial victories.
In the 2nd District, Welker, of Southampton, would replace Legis. Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), who did not seek reelection.
Across the county, 16,276 registered Democrats cast ballots early from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5, compared with 13,093 Republicans, according to data from the county elections board. Another 7,372 voters unaffiliated with a party voted early, along with 933 voters registered with other parties.
By 5 p.m. Tuesday, the elections board reported 129,610 people had cast ballots in Election Day voting. Of that total, there were 41,029 Democrats and 55,036 Republicans. Another 33,545 people from unaffiliated and other parties also voted Tuesday.
The combined early voting and Election Day balloting totaled 167,284 people as of 5 p.m., with voting by 68,131 Republicans and 57,305 Democrats, according to the county elections board.
There are 1,106,016 registered voters in Suffolk, according to the New York State Board of Elections.
Suffolk GOP chairman Jesse Garcia said turnout appeared to be between 27% and 30% as of about 9 p.m.
“That’s what the average county executive race is,” said Garcia, referring to the most high-profile race on this year's ballot.
Election officials were hoping to avoid a repeat of November 2022, when technical problems forced poll workers to drive dozens of computer chips to Board of Elections headquarters in Yaphank, leading to results that did not become available until after midnight.
Results started coming in around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Suffolk legislators serve part-time, 2-year terms with $107,051 salaries. The county's proposed budget for 2024 raises the salaries to $111,333.
With John Asbury and Robert Brodsky
Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.
