Smithtown Democrats back Republican Rob Trotta as write-in after nominee quits race

Smithtown Democrats say they are endorsing Suffolk Legis. Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) as a write-in candidate for town supervisor after their candidate withdrew from the race. 

Phyllis Hart, chair of the Smithtown Democratic Committee, said nominee Rosemary Griffin backed out of the race in July “for personal reasons.” Hart said while the party had other candidates in mind to replace Griffin, “we couldn’t get them on the ballot or qualified in time.”

Trotta said in an interview he is "flattered" by the endorsement but is not actively campaigning for town supervisor. 

Supervisor Ed Wehrheim defeated Trotta in a Republican primary for supervisor in June. The race centered largely on the pace and scale of commercial and residential development, with much of the conversation surrounding the future of Kings Park.

Hart said Smithtown Democrats agreed with Trotta's message in that race. Trotta and his supporters accused the Wehrheim administration of approving too many developments in Kings Park, adding to its density. Wehrheim and other supporters of new developments say the town must expand and diversify its housing stock beyond three- and four-bedroom homes to keep young people and seniors in Smithtown.

"Do we approach things differently? Definitely. Are there things we disagree on? Most certainly. But we have no candidate and he’s the closest thing we can align with," Hart said of Trotta. "We would rather see a Rob Trotta as supervisor who will endorse and support our candidates for town council than a Wehrheim.”

Trotta said in an interview, “I think that it’s important that people have a choice. Given the fact that their candidate is no longer viable, I’m flattered.” Many people of different political stripes, he said, "want to stop the urbanization of Smithtown.”

County boards must certify their general election ballots by Thursday, according to Kathleen McGrath, a spokeswoman for the New York State Board of Elections. Griffin's name will remain on the ballot because she missed the April 7 deadline to decline the nomination, John Alberts, Democratic commissioner for the Suffolk County Board of Elections, said in an email. He added that "only under extenuating circumstances may it be later, i.e. death or disqualification."

Wehrheim said in a statement Monday that any attempt by Trotta to "reinvent himself" as a Democratic write-in candidate "is not only self-serving, it’s a direct insult to the people he claims to represent. Instead of respecting the will of the voters, he’s clinging to a disillusioned version of history that exists only in his own mind."

Wehrheim also noted he won the Republican primary by nearly 10 percentage points. He said he stood behind his record of investing in town parks, improving street safety and providing "strong economic growth and a thriving ecosystem" for the environment.

Trotta said he and town Democratic officials spoke over the summer about possibly supporting him. 

Trotta has opposed Cornerstone Kings Park, a $22 million, a three-story apartment complex project planned by Indian Head and Meadow roads. Trotta said the project in Kings Park “sets a horrible precedent for the entire town.” Last month, the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency granted $2 million in tax breaks for the development. 

Trotta said if he does win a write-in campaign, he would accept the supervisor's position.

Asked whether he would throw his support behind Wehrheim, Trotta on Monday said he's asking supporters to back "candidates who want to stop the urbanization of the Town of Smithtown, not putting 46 apartments in the parking lot of a drugstore on less than a half an acre of property."

"If no other candidate fits the bill then feel free to write my name in," Trotta said in a statement.