As primary day polls close, eyes are on key supervisor races in Huntington, Smithtown

Polls closed at 9 p.m. Tuesday as pivotal races for supervisor in Huntington and Smithtown highlighted a sweltering primary day on Long Island.

Republican, Conservative and Working Families registered voters went to the polls to select candidates for several towns' positions and two seats on the Suffolk Legislature. The winners will be on the ballot in November's general election.

Early voting for primary races began June 14 and ended Sunday. Details about early-voter turnout weren't available from Suffolk County Board of Elections officials Tuesday.   

Polls had opened Tuesday at 6 a.m. 

Suffolk Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Betty Manzella had said Monday that with temperatures expected in the high 90s Tuesday, there is no way to predict turnout. But she noted that generally, Republican and Conservative voters cast their ballots on the appointed day.

“People who are focused on local elections will come out and vote,” she said. 

On the Republican line in Huntington, voters chose either incumbent Ed Smyth or Brooke Lupinacci to be the supervisor candidate. Smyth, also the endorsed candidate of the Conservative Party, faced a challenge from Dom Spada for that line. Cooper Macco, Democratic candidate for supervisor, was also the endorsed candidate of the Working Families Party, where he faced a primary challenge from Maria Delgado.

In Smithtown, incumbent Ed Wehrheim was challenged by Legis. Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) to be the Republican supervisor candidate. 

There also were campaigns to choose Republican candidates for two seats on the Suffolk Legislature: Trotta's and that of Legis. Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). Both lawmakers are term-limited.

Richard J. Renna was the endorsed candidate of the Suffolk Republican Committee to run for McCaffrey’s District 14 seat, which includes parts of Babylon Town. He was being challenged by Shawn S. Cullinane.

Salvatore Formica was nominated by the committee to run for Trotta’s District 13 seat, which includes parts of Smithtown and Huntington. Frank Black was challenging Formica.

Renna and Formica also had the Conservative Party endorsement.

In other town races:

• Chris Haines faced registered Democrat Vincent Colavita in a Working Families primary for Huntington superintendent of highways.
• Republican-endorsed candidates David P. Bennardo and Gregory Grizopoulos faced challenges from Eugene Cook and John Posillico for two seats on the Huntington Town Board. Grizopoulos is a registered Conservative.
• George Bergbuchler, Erick B. Greene, Jennifer A. Hebert and Stephen Anastasia were seeking the Working Families nomination for those same town board seats. Anastasia and Hebert are registered Democrats.
• In Smithtown, Robert Semprini, Joann Tierney-Varello, Thomas J. McCarthy and Lynne C. Nowick sought two Republican nominations for town board.
• In Southampton, Democrat Mark Bernardo and Peter M. Collins sought the Working Families nod for town clerk. And seeking two Working Families nominations for town board were Democrat Thomas F. Neely, Andrew Smith and Ieshia O. Galicia.

Absentee ballots had to be postmarked by Tuesday. The number of absentee ballots issued also wasn't available Tuesday from the county board of elections.

For more on Tuesday's primaries, see Newsday's Voters Guide.