Voters across Long Island elect village mayors and trustees

Voters across Long Island on Tuesday elected trustees, judges and mayors, including in Hempstead where a teacher defeated challengers including a former convicted police officer in a bid for the trustee seat.

Hempstead voters elected teacher and one-time NFL prospect Noah Burroughs to a one-year term as trustee to the Hempstead Village Board. Burroughs will finish the term of former trustee Waylyn Hobbs, who was elected mayor last year.

Burroughs garnered 629 votes, defeating three other challengers, led by Hempstead School Board member Randy Stith. Stith was the runner-up, with 307 votes.

Stith, a former Hempstead police officer and firefighter, ran for the trustee seat after pleading guilty in 2019 to misdemeanor possession of a forged instrument and petit larceny after he was accused of stealing $6,500 from the fire department’s accounts when he was treasurer.

The Northport Village race for mayor pitted a recently elected trustee and the village’s former clerk, who retired after a dispute with the current mayor who did not seek reelection.

Donna Koch prevailed over trustee David Weber Jr., 1,015-799.

"I think it was a great turnout," Koch said. "There were over 1,600 voters [and] I think that shows the people of the village really wanted change."

Koch said she ran to stop the perception of behind-the-scenes decision making.

She said two things she would like to accomplish include purchasing the shuttered Woodbine Marina with its parking lot and restrooms from the Town of Huntington and transforming it into a transient boat dock and pedestrian-friendly promenade. She said she supports outdoor dining but wants to find a balance between that and the right of people to walk on the sidewalks.

Weber will retain his seat as a trustee.

Meghan M. Dolan received 1,034 votes and Joseph Sabia 934 votes to win four-year trustee seats on the village board. James M. Izzo received 973 votes.

Ernest Pucillo defeated Michael P. Bento, 880-716, to fill one unexpired term with two years remaining.

In Great Neck Plaza, voters reelected incumbent Mayor Ted Rosen over Leonard N. Katz by a tally of 401-307.

Incumbent trustees Pamela Marksheid got 390 votes and Michael P. DeLuccia received 386 to edge out challengers Jason S. Hertz and Ruomei (Margaret) Hu, who received 303 and 299 votes, respectively.

In Thomaston, a recount has been requested in the race to fill two trustee seats. Jay W. Chagrin has 227 votes, followed by Aaron S. Halpern with 222. Nick Toumbekis has 201 votes and Karen Lynne Siegel has 200.

In Old Field, incumbent Thomas Gulbransen and challenger William Schaefer won two trustee seats, and newcomer Morgan Morrison won a special election to complete the final year of a trustee seat held by Adrienne Owen. Trustees serve for two years.

Gulbransen, who received 132 votes, and Schaefer, who garnered 122 votes, defeated Owen, who got 88 votes. Morrison, with 131 votes, defeated Thomas Cottone, who had 81 votes.

In Patchogue, incumbent trustees Joseph E. Keyes, with 391 votes, Patrick McHeffey, with 384 votes and Susan Henke Brinkman, with 370 votes, were reelected, defeating challenger Dennis Ross who garnered 149 votes. The four candidates were running for three seats, each with a four-year term.

In Garden City, Mary Carter Flanagan, Charles P. Kelly, Bruce A. Torino and Lawrence N. Marciano Jr. were elected to two-year terms for village trustees.

With Carl MacGowan, Darwin Yanes and John Asbury