Suffolk Sheriff DeMarco screens before Islip GOP committee

Suffolk Sheriff Vincent DeMarco appeared before the Islip Republican executive committee on Saturday while two hometown GOP contenders for sheriff, State Sen. Philip Boyle and Assemb. Al Graf, were stuck in Albany dealing with an unsettled state budget.

“I thought I did well,” said DeMarco.

DeMarco, a Conservative, made his first appearance before a GOP town committee a week after both Graf and Boyle were screened. DeMarco could not make the earlier session because he had already scheduled his first re-election fundraiser the same night as the Islip GOP screening. Suffolk Conservatives several days later dumped DeMarco as the minor party’s candidate and instead endorsed Boyle for sheriff.

Also appearing at the Islip GOP screening was Larry Cazarese, formerly with the NYPD and now deputy chief of the Stony Brook University police force, who also had a fundraiser at the time of the earlier screening.

State Supreme Court Justice Andrew Crecca, who is weighing a run for Suffolk district attorney, also appeared before the Islip GOP executive committee.

William Garbarino, town GOP chair, said the meeting was limited to the executive committee rather than the usual practice of opening the session to all committee members because judicial ethics rules permit judges to meet with party leaders on a possible candidacy, but not a wider audience. He said the session lasted about 75 minutes, but no votes were taken, noting it is the county committee that makes final decisions on countywide offices such as district attorney and sheriff.