In Suffolk, power couples 'press' onward

County Executive Steve Levy’s infant gubernatorial campaign has a spokewoman -- the wife of one of his top aides.

Rene Babich, who's married to Edward Dumas, was listed last week as the contact person in the first release put out by the Friends of Levy last reacting to Gov. David Paterson’s state of the state message.

For now, Levy said he is not paying Babich but said that may change when “this thing start cranking.” Babich was once a reporter for Suffolk County News and worked for both Olsten Corp. and later Citicorp.

Last fall she handled press for the losing campaign of another former Levy deputy Jim Morgo and Chris Bodkin.

Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko’s new press spokesman, Gretchen Penn, also is part of a power couple. Penn, who had been a political operative for CSEA, is the wife of Assemb. Marc Alessi (D-Shoreham). They first met when both worked at the union.