Suffolk GOP screens county exec candidates

The day after Steve Levy dropped out of the race for Suffolk County executive, Republicans began screening other possible candidates and plotting how to beat the Democrats this fall without Levy on the ticket.

Top Republican officials said Friday that they were looking to rally behind one candidate and several said that state Sen. John Flanagan, of East Northport, has emerged as a strong contender for their nomination.

"Is it something I'm thinking about? Yes," Flanagan said Friday in Albany. "But it would be imprudent to engage in those discussions before we finish the [state] budget."

Levy announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election, saying "questions have been raised" about his campaign fundraising. Under an agreement with District Attorney Thomas Spota, Levy, 51, will turn over his $4-million campaign war chest to the district attorney's office.

Several Levy donors said Friday that they would seek return of their money. They included Richard Wenner, president and chief executive of Wenner Bread Products, of Bayport, whose company made a $4,000 contribution last fall, and Local 1500 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

The local had made $5,200 in contributions to Levy in the past few years, and had never gotten a response to its request for a refund after Levy switched last year from the Democratic to the Republican Party, said spokesman Patrick Purcell.

But Elinor Rosenberger, a retired teacher from Holtsville, said she and her sister, Marion, weren't looking for return of the $100 they gave Levy last August. "We think very highly of him; we need leaders who speak up," Elinor Rosenberger said.

On Friday, many Suffolk politicians said Levy's departure leaves the likely Democratic candidate, Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone, as the new front-runner for county executive. Bellone, who has more than $1 million in his coffers but has yet to formally announce, said in an email that he was "exploring" a bid for the county's top job but was unavailable for further comment about Levy's departure.

The loss to the GOP of Levy's campaign money -- to be returned to donors or given to charity -- also could boost Democrats because it can't be used for TV ads and helping other GOP candidates this fall, officials said.

"At least we don't have a $4 million gun staring at us," county Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer said of Levy's campaign war chest.

GOP chairman John LaValle had intended to hold an early county convention next month to rally support for Levy and curtail any challenges. But on Friday, the Suffolk GOP pushed back its convention to its traditional time in May, in order to give more time to conduct a formal screening process.

Besides Flanagan, Republican officials have cited as possible candidates Assemb. Michael Fitzpatrick of St. James; County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki; County Treasurer Angie Carpenter and county Legis. Edward Romaine of Center Moriches.

With William Murphy

and Yancey Roy