Write-in campaign for Jerry Larsen mounts to challenge East Hampton Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez

An independent political committee is mounting a campaign to write in Jerry Larsen for East Hampton Town supervisor, months after the East Hampton Village mayor lost a Democratic primary to Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.

The write-in bid aims to capture the votes of Larsen-supporting Democrats, as well as Republicans and independents who were unable to vote in the June 23 primary. Burke-Gonzalez, the incumbent, defeated Larsen with 61.7% of the 3,426 votes cast.

Burke-Gonzalez is the only candidate on the ballot for East Hampton Town supervisor. Republicans declined to name a candidate.

Larsen said he is not actively campaigning and is not coordinating with the committee. He said he would serve if elected.

"I'm humbled by it," Larsen, 62, said in an interview. "I think it's a very uphill battle to try to do this, but I have to commend the people for trying."

Burke-Gonzalez, 65, did not address the write-in campaign in a statement by text. She said she is "eager to earn every vote in November as the Democrat and Working Families-endorsed candidate this general election."

The campaign has become increasingly visible in recent weeks, with signs urging voters to write in Larsen popping up along roads and ads appearing in local newspapers ahead of Tuesday's general election.

The East Hampton Town Democratic Committee is taking the write-in effort "seriously," said Chairman Michael Koegler. But he also doubted Larsen would triumph after his primary loss.

"We think it's a bit of a long shot for any write-in candidate, especially in this kind of a year, where there should be a pretty large Democratic turnout," he said. 

Bryan Sokolowski, political director of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, declined to comment.

Funding effort

Jacki Esposito, a Springs resident and founder of the Write-In Jerry Larsen Committee, said the bid will "give voice to the thousands of residents who have yet to cast a vote in the supervisor race."

"We are targeting every voter because the premise here is the current town government is broken, and we believe that regardless of party affiliation, people recognize that here," Esposito said. 

David Waserstein, an East Hampton resident and executive director of the Jewish Center for the Hamptons, is the committee's treasurer, according to state campaign filings. 

"We felt it was important to try to motivate people, to express the need for there to be more opportunities to vote for different people," said Waserstein, who added he was not speaking on behalf of the Jewish Center.

Since the committee was formed on July 7, it has raised more than $20,000, which has been spent on newspaper ads, yard signs and mailers, Esposito said.

State filings show its largest contribution was $5,955 from Katharine Rayner, the billionaire heiress to the Cox Enterprises business conglomerate who, according to media reports, owns a home in East Hampton. Rayner, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $4.8 billion, could not be reached for comment.

Long shot?

Deena Zenger, founder of The Country School, an early childhood center that has been locked in a decade-long dispute over its lease of town-owned land in Wainscott, contributed $5,000 to the write-in committee, state filings show.

Although Larsen's chance of winning is a "long shot," Zenger, of Springs, said in an interview that a write-in bid will highlight discontent over the town building department and successive budget approvals over the state tax cap. 

"If [Larsen] gets 20% of the votes, then hopefully that's a wake-up call for the town board," she said.

Two candidates are running write-in campaigns to challenge Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo, a Republican and the only candidate on the ballot, after the Democratic candidate withdrew, Newsday has reported.

Esposito recognized the campaign as "an uphill battle" but noted that other politicians, including former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, have won elections with write-in campaigns after losing party primaries.

"It can be done, and it can be done with a lot more votes than we need," Esposito said.

Newsday's Joshua Solomon contributed to this story.