Kathryn Casey Quigley to step down as Southold Democratic Committee Chair

Kathryn Casey Quigley announced Thursday that she will step down from her role as chair of the Southold Town Democratic Committee, effective June 1.

Ms. Casey Quigley was first elected committee chair January 2018. Her current term was expected to run through October 2024, but is being cut short for personal and professional reasons.

“I intend to remain engaged and involved and I’m really excited to help elect the great slate of Democratic candidates this year,” Ms. Casey Quigley said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. “This is in order to take a little bit off my plate, as I run [Peconic Community School] and have a family.”

“It’s been a total honor and privilege to serve the Democratic Committee and the Town of Southold in this role,” she added. “I feel like we accomplished a tremendous amount together in terms of building the party, building the brand, raising more money, bringing more people in, registering more voters and electing a lot more Democrats.”

A special election to fill Ms. Casey Quigley’s position is planned for the end of the year, according to a Southold Democratic Committee press release. Following her departure, committee responsibilities will be shared among first vice chairs Sandra Benedetto, Alison Delaney and Candace Hall.

Although she is stepping down from her position as local party chairperson, Ms. Casey Quigley said she will remain politically active as a member of the town’s Democratic Committee and retain her position as Vice Chair of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee.

Although she described herself as politically active throughout her life, she said she did not get involved in local politics until after President Donald Trump was elected in 2016. Following that election, she said she wanted “to help turn Southold Town blue.”

After Democrats secured six of seven contested seats in the 2021 election, and with more Southold voters now registered as Democrats than Republicans, Ms. Casey Quigley said she hopes she convinced local voters “that they can make the change they believe in.”