How Democrats' bids for Suffolk County seats highlight tensions within party

Jonathan Estreich’s campaign as the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County comptroller began with little fanfare this spring.

That changed earlier this month after Estreich, 46, told Newsday he rejected a push from Suffolk Democratic Party leadership to withdraw from the race, a decision the first-time candidate and attorney said was driven by a "matter of honor."

Suffolk County Clerk candidate Anthony Portesy recently abandoned his campaign after facing similar pressure from county Democratic Party chair Rich Schaffer, committee members tell Newsday.

In both cases, current and former committee members allege, the decision was part of what they say is a long-standing practice by Schaffer to make deals with the opposing party. In this case, the decision allows Portesy's rival, Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo, to run unopposed. Dan Losquadro, a Republican, will face Estreich.

Portesy and Estreich's decisions have since been thrust into a public fight over the direction of the Suffolk Democratic Party, where an insurgent group looks to unseat Schaffer for what it says is his tactic of cutting backroom deals with Republican and Conservative party leaders at the expense of fellow Democrats. It's an approach, critics say, Schaffer has adopted for the years he's served as head of the party, but it has fomented internal criticism.

The allegations of deal-cutting also intensified the race for chair between Schaffer and challenger Kathryn Casey Quigley, who made ending cross-endorsements and eliminating paper candidates, or token opposition, central to her bid to unseat the veteran leader. Committee members in the coming weeks will cast votes for the next chair. The election could shape the future of the party and influence whom Suffolk Democrats promote to run for public office at a time when the executive and legislative chambers are controlled by Republicans. 

Casey Quigley said members of the party felt "blindsided" when Schaffer appeared to pull support for candidates actively campaigning in countywide races just months before November’s general election. It's ultimately a disservice to voters, she said.

"It makes no sense," she said in an interview. "It’s the opposite of what our party chair should be doing." 

Jon Schneider, spokesperson for the Suffolk Democratic Committee, downplayed the significance of the two county positions, which carry four-year terms, and said the party’s focus is on the statewide and congressional races in November. He confirmed Portesy is no longer a candidate.

"The focus needs to be, frankly, on a little bit more on what’s happening in November and a little bit less what’s going on with intraparty Democratic disputes," he said in an interview.

Schaffer has not publicly explained why he withdrew support for the candidates in the two countywide races. Some committee members have called for his resignation.

Schaffer did not respond to requests for comment.

Casey Quigley sent an Aug. 15 memo to Schaffer requesting he "immediately" fill the vacancy for county clerk before Friday's deadline and provide "uncompromised party support" to the full slate of Democratic candidates. She said she has not gotten a response.

Schneider on Thursday said he didn’t believe there would be a replacement for the clerk position that is "entirely administrative."

"The focus is on races that matter to Washington, Albany and the issues that are critical to Suffolk County," he said.

Estreich, who had originally planned to run in the 2nd Senate District race against Republican Mario Mattera, declined to discuss the specifics of why he had been asked to step aside and said his focus was on looking ahead.

In a video he posted to social media announcing his decision to remain in the race, he cast blame on the "failed efforts of Republican Party bosses to remove me from the ballot."

Suffolk GOP chairman Jesse Garcia said he was "not aware" of the effort to oust Estreich when asked about his role in deals with the Democratic committee.

"As it pertains to the Democrat Party, I don’t pick the Democrat Party candidates — I beat them at the ballot box," he said in a text message to Newsday.

Estreich said the contest for comptroller is an "absolutely essential race" and said his decision to stand up to party leaders has demonstrated how he can be an independent auditor.

Conservative ties

Schaffer's decision to pull support for the two countywide candidates, as critics allege, is a stark contrast to what he said in April, when he expressed he was "incredibly proud to support" the fellow Democrats.

He said Estreich would bring "real financial discipline and oversight to county government" while Portesy would "modernize how government serves people."

Portesy did not respond to a request for comment on his decision to withdraw. Many committee members said they felt Portesy — who works for the Suffolk OTB — was left little choice. Portesy told Newsday in December he supported Schaffer as chairman and described opposition as a "small group of malcontents."

Casey Quigley said, "For him to just turn around and stab him in the back like this is horrible."

The Conservatives also nominated Estreich for a judgeship, which he declined. Committee members said that move was designed to remove him from the comptroller race.

In his willingness to give up a Democrat to vie for the county clerk seat, Schaffer’s critics pointed to his ties to the Conservative Party. In last year’s election for Babylon supervisor, Schaffer received more than 3,500 votes on the Conservative line. The Conservative Party's chair is Mike Torres, who doubles as chief deputy county clerk under Puleo, who is running for another term amid revelations he owned a spa that's alleged to have allowed sex acts to take place.

Torres, who county records show earned $213,225 last year, did not respond to requests for comment on whether he talked Schaffer into withdrawing support for the two Democratic candidates.

Asked about allegations that the Democratic Party is cozying up to the demands of the Conservatives and Republicans, Schneider said the party is backing candidates "that are fighting MAGA every single day."

Schaffer has faced allegations from party members in the past of cutting deals with Republicans and Conservatives. In 2018, for example, some party members said Schaffer was reportedly pushing for a 20-year-old college student to run against incumbent Republican State Sen. Phil Boyle.

'Not acceptable'

Shoshana Hershkowitz, the founder of Suffolk Progressives, who recently became a Democratic committee member again, said backroom deals have plagued Democrats for years under Schaffer. She pointed to last year's deal that allowed District Attorney Ray Tierney and Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. to run unopposed. Tierney, an independent, was elected on the Republican and Conservative lines, while Toulon, a Democrat, was elected on the Democratic and Conservative lines.

"This was just the one that I think really rose to the surface that people could really see how egregious it is," Hershkowitz said.

She said there was excitement in the party for the two campaigns, and people eager to do the work, only for it "to be snatched."

"It has to change," Hershkowitz said. "It’s not acceptable. People deserve a choice on their ballots."

College student Drew Sora, 18, of Port Jefferson, who became a committee member this year, said he’s grown increasingly frustrated at the "backroom deal making" that leaves "voters disenfranchised." He said the party under Schaffer is not giving voters "genuine choices for these offices."

"As a young person who wants to obviously be involved in this party locally, it is just crazy that that has continued to occur on the local level," he said.

Emily Kaufman, a committee member and activist from Huntington, called failing to refill the clerk’s seat "a bridge too far."

"His job is to lead the party and get Democrats elected," she said of Schaffer. "This is the whole problem with this patronage system."

Casey Quigley agreed.

"For a long time, Suffolk County politics has been more about a machine and a jobs program than about running our government in the best possible way and according to party values," she said. "We need to return to political parties that are about values and change and good governance."

Upcoming vote

The race for Democratic chair will conclude in the coming weeks, when a vote must be held between Sept. 17 and Oct. 6.

Committee members are urging Schaffer to set a date, which he must do with at least 72 hours' notice. 

Asked about the vote for party chair, Schneider said he believes the committee members will have "adequate notice" that is beyond the minimum requirement.

William Ferraro, who ran for Brookhaven Town supervisor in 2019 and is a former committee member, said he didn’t think it was possible for a challenger to unseat a sitting county chair. But his outlook has since changed.

"This race is in play," he told Newsday.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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