Renee Ortiz drops out of race to replace Monica Martinez in Suffolk County Legislature 

Renee Ortiz, one of the leading contenders to run for State Sen.-elect Monica Martinez’s seat in the Suffolk County Legislature, has dropped out in the name of love.

The former deputy legislative clerk, currently executive director of the Center for Social Justice and Human Understanding, says she is leaving her $125,050 a year job at the end of January to join her fiance, who has taken a job in North Carolina.