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Three primaries on the North Fork: Assembly, two judges, up for election

Thursday’s primary elections will have three races that effect residents in Riverhead and Southold towns.

The most high profile of the three is a Republican primary for the second Assembly District.

• Incumbent Republican Anthony Palumbo, 47, of New Suffolk, has been in office since 2013. He is being challenged on the Republican line by Mike Yacubich, 52, of Shoreham. 

Regardless of the primary result, Mr. Palumbo will still be on the November general election ballot on the Conservative and Independence Party lines.

Rona Smith, 73, of Greenport, also will be on the November ballot on the Democratic line. 

Mr. Palumbo challenged the nominating petitions of Mr. Yacubich on the grounds that his petitions were under the heading “Mike Yacubich” and yet the candidate, whose full name is Michael B. Yacubich and his son, whose full name is Michael V. Yacubich, both were registered to vote at the same Shoreham address. 

The Board of Elections, reacting to a challenge filed by three registered Republicans within the district, agreed that that was confusing as to who was actually on the ballot, and bounced Mr. Yacubich from the Republican primary line. 

But Mr. Yacubich challenged that decision in court, and after losing in State Supreme Court, was reinstated to the ballot by the state Appellate Division. 

Mr. Yacubich is an accountant and financial advisor, who is chief of the Rocky Point Fire Department and a former Shoreham-Wading River Board of Education member. 

“The main reason I chose to get involved is that I have listened for the last 25 years on how we need to control the cost of living on Long Island so that our seniors and our kids can afford to live here,” Mr. Yacubich said in an interview. “I haven’t really seen much progress in that area.”

Mr. Palumbo, an attorney and former assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, has blamed Democrats in Albany with big spending. The Assembly majority is controlled by Democrats.

The position has a two-year term.  

• Surrogate Court Judge (10-year-term)

The race for Suffolk County Surrogate Court Judge has the Republican candidate, Tara Scully, 41, of Setauket, in a primary for the Democratic line against Theresa Whelan, 56, of Wading River. 

Ms. Scully, a registered Republican, also has the Green Party and Reform Party lines, while Ms. Whelan also has the Independence party line. 

A third candidate, Deborah Poulos of Dix Hills, has the Conservative line.

In July, Suffolk Democrats issued a press release saying that all ten town Democratic leaders in the county were supporting Ms. Whelan. 

Ms. Scully’s father, Peter Scully, currently works for Democratic County Executive Steve Bellone as a deputy county executive. She is an attorney with practice in the area of wills, trusts and estates.

Ms. Whelan has been a Family Court judge for the past 10 years. 

Ms. Poulos, 64, is currently a Family Court Judge. 

• Family Court Judge (10-year-term)

There are two candidates running for Family Court Judge, but the primary only involves the Women’s Equality party line. 

Karen Kerr, 56, of Centerport, is a registered Democrat who is running on the Democrat, Conservative, Working Families and Independence party lines.

She is currently a Suffolk County District Court judge.

Richard Hoffman, 63, of Hauppauge, is a registered Republican running on the Republican, Green party and Reform party lines. He has previously been a Suffolk County Family Court judge from 2007 to 2016.

They are running a primary against each other for the Women’s Equality party line. 

• Governor and AG

There will also be statewide Democratic primaries Thursday for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Incumbent Andrew Cuomo will be challenged by Cynthia Nixon for governor; Kathy Hochul, Mr. Cuomo’s running mate, will face Jumaane Williams for Lt. Governor; and four candidates are running in a primary for attorney general. They are: Letitia James, who is supported by Mr. Cuomo, Leecia Eve, Sean Patrick Maloney and Zephyr Teachout.

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Photo caption: Incumbent Republican Anthony Palumbo (right) is being challenged on the Republican line by Mike Yacubich (left).