Government

Incumbents retain seats in Greenport Village election

Incumbent trustees Mary Bess Phillips and Julia Robins both retained seats on the Greenport Village Board after Tuesday’s election, defeating their lone challenger, Paul Kreiling, and will serve four-year terms.

Ms. Phillips, the owner of Alice’s Fish Market, was first elected in 2009. Ms. Robins, a saleswoman at Albertson Realty in Greenport, first won her seat in 2013. They will return to work on the Village Board alongside Mayor George Hubbard Jr. and fellow trustees Jack Martilotta and Doug Roberts.

“I work very hard at this job and take it very seriously,” Ms. Robins said Wednesday. “I did not run a social media campaign. I did a door-to-door, face-to-face campaign with people, which is very important to me.”

She said people are more relaxed talking in person and one-on-one, rather than in a group, where people might not want to stand up at a meeting.

“It’s a luxury we have in a little village like this,” Ms. Robins said. “The last five weeks talking with residents, it was great.”

Ms. Phillips added: “I’m very honored and humbled that the voters in the Village of Greenport and our community had enough confidence to vote me back in as village trustee.”

She used a variety of campaign methods, she said.

“I did a lot of social media, I did a lot of trying to get people to come out to vote. I had reminder mailings going out, and I did a lot of phone calling and door-to-door when I was getting my signatures for the petition, so I’ve been all over the place,” she said.

Ms. Phillips has a Facebook site devoted to village issues, where she can get information out to people and also receive feedback.

“The Facebook sites are important in trying to stay in contact with everybody throughout the whole term, not just during the campaign,” Ms. Phillips said.

She feels the next two years will be very positive ones in the village and said the budget and keeping track of where money is spent are top priorities.

Ms. Robins received a total of 223 votes. Ms. Phillips received 221 and Mr. Kreiling garnered 195.

Mr. Kreiling is a 25-year Greenport resident and owner of Easterly Sailing School.

Lucy Clark, whose legal name is Mary Louise Given, announced last week that she’d opted to drop out of the race and did not attend a debate March 13. She still received 37 votes.

Here’s how Tuesday’s numbers broke down:

Total ballots cast: 340 at the polling place, 25 valid absentee ballots.

• Ms. Robins: 209 votes, 14 absentee ballots. Total: 223

• Ms. Phillips: 205 votes, 16 absentee ballots. Total: 221.

• Mr. Kreiling: 180 votes, 15 absentee ballots. Total: 195 total.

• Ms. Given: 35 votes, 2 absentee ballots. Total: 37.

• William Swiskey received 12 write-in votes.

Photos: Julia Robins, left, congratulates Mary Bess Phillips Tuesday night following the elections results. (Credit: Tina Contento)