primary voters guide: David B. Lys

David B. Lys

Democratic

BACKGROUND: Lys, 42, of East Hampton, is seeking election to a one-year term. He was appointed in January to fill the remainder of the term of council member Peter Van Scoyoc, who was elected supervisor. Lys said he switched his registration from Republican to Democrat in January. Lys earned a bachelor’s in kinesiology at Penn State University. He is an East Hampton native and local business owner who operates Weekend Warriors Tours and Outfitters and, with his wife, East Hampton Physical Therapy in Montauk. He participated in the restoration of the 1902 Amagansett Life-Saving Station and was a founding member of Citizens for Access Rights, a group that lobbies for public access for town beaches. He is married and has four children. Lys served a five-year term on the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals starting in 2013.

ISSUES: Lys said he understands issues as someone who grew up in the area and brings a great amount of enthusiasm to the post. He said he will work to make affordable housing more available, so young people can stay in their hometowns, work to find well-paying jobs that don’t change the community, and continue his environmental advocacy. After seeing how other towns offer a range of recreational choices while he was traveling this spring, he pointed to East Hampton’s need to increase recreational opportunities for residents with town-sponsored youth and adult leagues. “We could help keep individuals off opiates by keeping them out of dark places mentally,” Lys said. “If we invest in health, it’s self-efficacy as a community.”