Suffolk certifies primary results

Suffolk Legis. Louis D'Amaro (D-North Babylon) said Friday he will not go to court to fight his loss in an Independence Party primary against challenger Dennis Garetano.

D'Amaro's decision came as the Suffolk Board of Elections certified the Independence primary results, with Garetano defeating D'Amaro 96 votes to 79.

"I'm not accepting the results, but I'm not going to court either," said D'Amaro, who said a lawsuit would be too costly in the last six weeks of his campaign against Garetano, an Independence member who also is running on the GOP and Conservative ballot lines.

D'Amaro had threatened legal action after there were software problems with election results on primary night. A recount found no discrepancy in the votes. D'Amaro, however, maintained a full recount was warranted because of the election night problems.

The board also certified the outcome in another close legislative Independence primary in which Republican Susan Sineo defeated Legis. Kate Browning (WFP-Shirley) 173-130.

Also certified was the Democratic primary for Riverhead supervisor and town board. Former Supervisor Philip Cardinale defeated Gregory Fischer 535-126. And the party's town board candidates Marlano Williams with 392 votes and Matthew VonGlad with 388 votes defeated challenger Maria Pollack, a Fischer ally, who had 337 votes.

Fisher said, "There are no surprises for me. I got beat pretty bad." But he added he still "has an action pending" for Pollack in court. "We'll just have to see," he said.