Atlantic Beach Mayor Stephen Mahler ousted in 1 of 8 contested village elections
Atlantic Beach voters ousted 18-year incumbent Mayor Stephen Mahler in favor of challenger George Pappas in one of eight contested village elections across Long Island Tuesday.
Pappas, the superintendent of the Town of Hempstead's independent Sanitary District No. 1, based in Lawrence, bested Mahler 391 votes to 325.
Bayville's incumbent mayor also was defeated. Trustee Paul Rupp beat Mayor Douglas Watson in a vote of 1,322 to 965. Watson was a trustee from 1992 until he was elected mayor in 2010. Rupp has served two four-year terms as trustee.
The Bayville Village board of trustees also will have new faces, as challengers Tim Charon, Joe Russo and John Taylor were elected with 1,322, 1,274 and 1,227 votes, respectively.
In Manorhaven, Mayor Giovanna Giunta was re-elected with 358 votes, over James M. Avena's 343 votes and John O'Reilly's 297. Two incumbent trustees lost to Avena's running mates: Priscilla von Roeschlaub received 344 votes and Kevin M. Gately, Jr. had 357 to unseat Giunta's team of Dorit Zeevi-Farrington with 330 votes and Mark Lazarovic with 341.
Muttontown incumbent Mayor Julianne Beckerman survived a challenge from Pericles Linardos, winning 473 to 270. Three incumbents won Muttontown trustee seats: Julie Albernas garnered 471 votes, Carl Juul-Nielsen got 463 and Salvatore Benisatto received 457.
Brightwaters trustee Joseph McDermott defeated Deputy Mayor Denise Gibson for mayor, with McDermott garnering 481 votes to Gibson's 423. McDermott's running mates Diane Urso and Donna Barnett won the two open trustee seats, with Urso taking 522 votes and Barnett 504 votes. They defeated Gibson's running mates Steven Pertusati, who got 397 votes, and Gregory Rabin, who got 365 votes. The mayor of 18 years had retired.
In Port Jefferson, challenger Bruce Miller, co-chairman of a civic group that favors repowering the Long Island Power Authority plant in the village, led in unofficial tallies with 553 votes. Incumbent Trustee Bruce D'Abramo, with 545 votes, led challenger Jill Nees-Russell, with 515 votes.
In Huntington Bay, incumbent Mayor Herb Morrow won with 299 votes over challenger Elizabeth "Betty" Wood's 192.
Sag Harbor voters elected trustees Robby Stein with 308 votes and Sandra L. Schroeder with 270.
Dering Harbor voters forced another election to be scheduled when longtime mayor Timothy Hogue tied with write-in candidate Patrick Parcells, with 25 votes each. Mary Walker, an incumbent trustee who ran with the mayor, also tied with write-in candidate Robert Ferris.
Brandon Rose, another incumbent trustee, was elected with 28 votes over write-in candidate Elizabeth Morgan, who received 21 votes.
A ninth contested race is set for Friday in Westhampton Beach, with attorney Maria Moore challenging four-term incumbent Mayor Conrad Teller.
With Sophia Chang, Deon J. Hampton, Will James
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