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Area incumbents carry the day
Fiore-Rosenfeld, Rouse, Lesko, Viloria-Fisher all win
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Brookhaven Town residents will see familiar faces on the town council for another two years.
All incumbents for the six council district seats were reelected Tuesday, along with Supervisor Mark Lesko, who garnered about 56 percent of the vote against Republican candidate Martin Haley. State Assemblywoman Pat Eddington (WF-Medford) defeated Cecile Forte (R) of Port Jefferson to clinch the town clerk position, while Highway Superintendent John Rouse was re-elected for a fourth term.
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| | | Suffolk County Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer congratulates Pat Eddington, Brookhaven Town Clerk-elect, and the re-elected Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld, Supervisor Mark Lesko and Highway Superintendent John Rouse Tuesday night. Photo by Tracey Elizabeth. (click for larger version) | |
Lesko, who will enter his first full term as supervisor, said he's "honored" to win by a margin which exceeds that of the March special election when he first took office. "I feel very happy about this," he said Tuesday at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall in Hauppauge, where supporters gathered to cheer on the Democratic candidates.
"Ten months ago, no one knew my name," Lesko said, noting this win is an opportunity to "just bring progressive policies" and "lead the town out of this economic hole we're in." Addressing a large crowd of supporters, the supervisor said, "I am proud to be a Democrat. I am proud to represent the working people."
Eddington, who garnered just under 51 percent of the vote, said she will continue to provide "public service in another venue." "I've been asked to come home to do another job," she said. "I will miss my colleagues, and I will miss the Assembly." She will replace current Clerk Pam Betheil, under investigation for allegedly overcharging couples for marriage ceremonies, who chose not to run for re-election.
In the race for highway superintendent, incumbent John Rouse of Miller Place received over 53 percent of the vote to defeat Republican candidate Nick Caracappa of Centereach. Rouse said he and his administration will "continue to rebuild Brookhaven one road at a time" and "continue to have the most aggressive road resurfacing program." "It's all about serving the people," he added, "and putting their tax dollars back in their pockets."
Caracappa thanked his supporters on election night and congratulated Rouse on the highway superintendent's re-election. Caracappa, while watching the early returns at the Republicans' election night headquarters at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Holtsville, had likened the experience to watching a horse race. After the outcome was decided, Caracappa said he would stand for public office again "in a heartbeat." "We just didn't reach enough people," he said, but called his showing "a great accomplishment" for a first-time townwide campaign.
Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld (D-East Setauket) easily won reelection, polling 60.54 percent of the vote to his opponent Ed Wendol's 39.46 percent. Wendol, in conceding, assailed his "opponent's history of frivolous spending" and called it a shame that liberal spending of taxpayer dollars was apparently too inconsequential to have swayed the election in his favor. "Money is green, too," Wendol told the assembled Republicans, an obvious allusion to the incumbent's numerous environmental initiatives.
On the county level, Democratic candidate Bryan Lilly, a Port Jefferson business owner was unable to unseat Legislator Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham). With just under 34 percent of the vote, Lilly described himself as a "realist" and said he "lost any vision of winning" when he was defeated in the Independence Party primary. "Hopefully, Dan does right by the community," Lilly said, adding "There are other things in life besides [politics]."
Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-Setauket), on the other hand, was re-elected for her sixth and last term in office, as county law limits elected officials to serve no more than 12 years. "It's been a great 10 years," Viloria-Fisher said. "I'm very happy."
Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee chair Marsha Laufer said she is also "very proud to be a Democrat and stand for democratic values." "We run a good government campaign based on truth," Laufer said. "I'll stand behind that today and tomorrow."
While rumors about the committee chair's retirement have been flying around, she said Tuesday that is "yet to be determined."
At Suffolk Republicans' election night headquarters, Angie Carpenter, who ran unopposed for re-election as county treasurer, told the gathering, "It's a good time to be a Republican."
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