2 GOP senators pull out of primaries

Daily Point

Suffolk shifts

A game of musical chairs seems to be underway in Suffolk County Republican politics. Both State Sens. Alexis Weik and Phil Boyle have stepped out of the upcoming races for the seats they currently hold, declining their respective spots in the Republican and Conservative primaries.

That appears to be setting up a scenario where party leaders shift freshman Weik over to run in Boyle’s old SD4, for political and tactical reasons. Her Sayville home was pushed into SD4 by this year’s post-census redistricting, while adding more Hispanic and potentially Democratic voters to her old SD3.

Weik did not return requests for comment, but The Point received her signed April 7 declination certificates for the June primary through a records request to the Suffolk Board of Elections. The state Board of Elections, which handles this process in multicounty districts, confirmed Boyle’s declination, also dated to April 7.

Boyle has been in Albany as a member of the Assembly or Senate for decades, and in 2017 mounted an unsuccessful bid for county sheriff. As of Monday afternoon, he and party chiefs hadn’t publicized his next step, although in the past there has been talk that Boyle would be interested in a judgeship.

Asked about the Boyle and Weik declinations, Suffolk GOP chairman Jesse Garcia criticized Democrats’ “gerrymandered” and still-under-court-review redistricting maps for placing Weik and Boyle in the same district. He declined to say who would be running in SD3 and 4, other than that the GOP and Conservatives are “in the final stages of selecting and announcing” candidates.

The shuffle makes for a fascinating turn of events in SD3, where Democrat and former State Sen. Monica Martinez was looking to take on Weik, who beat her in 2020.

“Regardless of the switch, I welcome any opponent,” Martinez said in a text to The Point.

— Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano

Talking Point

Empty chairs at empty tables

Kevin Law officially submitted his letter of resignation to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Monday morning, dating the end of his tenure on the MTA board as April 28.

The timing was purposeful. By finishing his term at the end of April, Law would make himself available for the April MTA committee and board meetings on April 25 and 27. And the timing also would provide a window for the State Legislature to hold the confirmation hearing and vote necessary to make Law the next chairman of Empire State Development. The legislature is next in session April 25, 26 and 27.

Now that Law has resigned, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has to submit three names for a successor to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Then she makes a pick to fill Suffolk’s board seat and sends it to the State Senate for confirmation.

Sources said they hope that process could be completed in time for the MTA board’s May meetings, currently scheduled for May 23 and May 25.

While Bellone hasn’t tipped his hand yet, sources have told The Point that there have been several Suffolk names under consideration. Among them: Chief Deputy County Executive Lisa Black.

Coincidentally, Black and Bellone met with new Long Island Rail Road head Cathy Rinaldi on Monday to talk about the county’s transit priorities, including the work at the Ronkonkoma Hub, the potential moving of the Yaphank station closer to Brookhaven National Laboratory, and further electrification of the eastern parts of the LIRR system, along with Bellone’s Connect Long Island transportation plan, which seeks to expand bus rapid transit, transit-oriented development opportunities, and efforts to connect research and development hubs.

The subject of Suffolk’s seat on the MTA board did not come up, sources with knowledge of the meeting told The Point.

— Randi F. Marshall @RandiMarshall

Pencil Point

Blame Biden

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Quick Points

Crime count

• Ukraine has opened 5,600 war crime cases since Russia’s invasion. Which might still be too few, given it’s not one for each dead civilian.
• As Russia recalibrates its brutal offensive, it has put in charge of its forces a general accused of ordering strikes against civilians in Syria. In other words, no real changes.
• U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin may see U.S. support of Ukraine as a direct affront to him. May? They’re not sure?
• The Trump administration left office in 2021 without giving the State Department the required accounting of gifts from foreign governments to former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and other White House officials in 2020. That they flouted rules and norms on the way out the door can’t be a surprise.
• Amazon is trying to overturn a workers’ vote to form a union at a Staten Island warehouse, saying in a legal filing that union organizers “intentionally created hostile confrontations.” Which is rich, coming from Amazon.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci says it’s up to individuals to determine their level of risk of getting COVID-19 when deciding whether to attend large gatherings. With all due respect, that leeway has gotten us into trouble before.
• Long Island public schools are getting a 12.69% boost in state aid. That means no school district should need to raise taxes this year, right? Yeah, right.
• After weeks of proclaiming New York City is back and open for business and tourism, Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for COVID-19. Yes, that’s bad optics.
• Elon Musk, recently revealed as Twitter’s biggest shareholder and a new board member, will not be joining the board after a series of tweets critical of Twitter and an announcement by Twitter’s chief executive that referenced “distractions ahead.” Even as honeymoons go, that was quick.

— Michael Dobie @mwdobie