Suffolk GOP picks candidates for November election

Suffolk Republicans last night named Iraq war veteran Lee Zeldin of Shirley to take on freshman Democrat State Sen. Brian X. Foley in November - the GOP's No. 1 target in its bid to regain control of the State Senate.

At the convention, held at the Smithtown Sheraton Hotel, the Republicans also named Suffolk Legislature Minority Leader Daniel Losquadro (R-Shoreham) to run against State Assemb. Marc Alessi (D-Wading River).

No candidate was named for the 1st Congressional District now held by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), clearing the way for a potential four-way primary among Assemb. Michael Fitzpatrick, Christopher Cox - son of state GOP chairman Edward Cox and grandson of former president Richard Nixon - multimillionaire Randy Altschuler and former Security and Exchange Commission lawyer George Demosl

Republicans did not renominate Conservative Family Court Judge Barbara Lanaugh, the minor party's only woman judge for re-election. The GOP named instead Conservative Bernard Cheng, law clerk to County Court Judge James Hudson.

Lanaugh, crossed-endorsed 10 years ago, also is expected to be dropped by Conservatives, but she can run a primary.

Earlier Thursday, Conservative chairman Edward Walsh threatened to withhold his party's line from Fitzpatrick's Assembly re-election if the lawmaker also circulated petitions to run for Congress.

Walsh, whose party backs Altschuler, called Fitzpatrick's dual bid "selfish" and "if not illegal, definitely disingenuous." He said if Fitzpatrick circulates congressional petitions, Conservative members would name their own candidate to the Assembly race.

"How can you knock on someone's door and say you're running for two different offices? People will look at you like you're crazy," Walsh said.

Fitzpatrick said he needs time to see if he can raise the $200,000 to $250,000 needed to make a Congressional run, and has until July 19 to decide which race to decline. He also believes as a fall back he can win his Assembly seat, even without Conservative line.

The Suffolk Republicans named incumbents for Congress, the state legislature, county clerk and comptroller, as well as for a number of judicial races.

In other races, they named the following challengers: 2nd Congressional District, John Gomez of Bayport; 2nd Assembly District, Richard Blumenthal, Westhampton Beach; 4th A.D., Deborah McKee of Mount Sinai; 5th A.D., Al Graf of Holbrook; 6th A.D., Mohsen Elsayed of Brentwood; and 11th A.D., Brett Robinson of Lindenhurst. They also named Caren Loguercio of Mount Sinai for family court judge, Philip Goglas of Central Islip for Islip district court judge and district court judge Stephen Behar of Islip for county court judge.