Democrats sweep Southold Town Trustee race, assessors race too close to call

Democrats swept Southold Town Trustee races Tuesday night and retained the highway superintendent seat, while Republicans held onto the town clerk position and secured one assessor seat in a night that saw strong Democratic performance across the ballot.

Incumbents Liz Gillooly and Eric Sepenoski cruised to victory and were joined by fellow Democrat Joe Finora, giving Democrats a 4-1 majority on the Board of Trustees alongside Nick Krupski. Trustee president Glenn Goldsmith is the lone Republican.

Southold Democratic Committee chair Kathryn Casey Quigley called the race for Ms. Gillooly at 10:17 p.m. She finished with 4,726 votes, or 18%.

“My inbox is open, not just for the people who voted for me,” Ms. Gillooly said at the Democratic watch party at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. in Peconic.

Ms. Gillooly has served as a trustee for the past four years, taking a proactive role in updating codes, improving transparency and expanding the Conservation Advisory Council’s mission to address sustainability issues.

“I’m so proud to have the confidence of voters, and I’m honored that I get to continue serving this place that I call home,” she said. “I’m proud of my record, I’m proud of the work I’ve done. I have more to do, and I’m just so grateful I get to continue doing it.”

Mr. Sepenoski, a teacher at Ross Lower School in Bridgehampton, won the most votes of any Trustee candidate with 4,894 votes, or 18.6%. Ms. Casey Quigley called his race at 10:03 p.m.

One student in his class had told him ahead of the election, “I hope you win the government today,” a moment he said reminded him why he works in public service.

“It’s a tremendous honor to have the support of this town that my family has been farming in for generations,” he said.

Mr. Finora secured the open seat previously held by Democrat Elizabeth Peeples with 4,586 votes, or 17.3%.

Ms. Casey Quigley announced his victory at 10:20 p.m., declaring: “Our shorelines are in good hands.”

A professional mariner and waterfront engineer of 15 years, commercial diver, USCG-licensed captain and co-founder of the Hampton Oyster Company, Mr. Finora is excited to step into the role.

“I’m so grateful to the community for their support and for the team here for pushing us across the finish line,” he told The Suffolk Times Tuesday night. “I’m excited to get to work and to help maintain and improve the town that I grew up in.”

Republican candidates Terri Boyle Romanelli, Nathan Andruski and Pindar Damianos fell short, each pulling in just over 15% of votes.

The five-member board administers all activity within 100 feet of Southold’s wetlands and manages more than 2,000 acres of underwater lands, making the Trustees essential guardians of the town’s diverse coastal ecosystems. Each Trustee will serve a three-year term through 2028 to coincide with New York’s even-year election cycle.

Highway Superintendent

Democrat incumbent Dan Goodwin retained his role as highway superintendent, defeating Republican challenger Greg Schlachter with 5,278 votes to 3,814, or 58% of the vote.

Mr. Goodwin has served as highway superintendent since his election in 2022.

He will continue to manage the department’s $8.5 million budget, its 35 employees and 402 lane miles throughout the Town of Southold, including Fishers Island. Throughout his campaign, he touted his ability to identify and address “legacy problems” throughout town.

“The taxpayers in this town really appreciate the changes that we’ve done,” Mr. Goodwin said at the Democratic watch party.

Mr. Schlachter was among the Republican candidates giving and receiving hugs at Sannino Vineyard in Cutchogue as the night wound down around 10:50 p.m.

Town Clerk

Republican Denis Noncarrow easily brushed off Democratic challenger Abigail Field for another term as Town Clerk in one of the few bright spots for the GOP in Southold on Tuesday.

Mr. Noncarrow, who was first elected in 2022, garnered 5,222 votes to Ms. Fields’ 3,840, or 57.6% of the vote, and was declared the winner at 10:15 p.m.

“Thank you to all the voters,” he said Tuesday night. “I will continue to do my very best to help everybody out and do what I can to make that office a pleasure for people to come to.”

Mr. Noncarrow oversees the six-person department that advertises bids on contracts and handles licenses and permits, birth and death certificates, weddings, meetings and town records.

Town Assessors

Republican Ken Poliwoda was elected to one of Southold’s two assessor seats, receiving 4,531 votes, or just over 26%.

Mr. Poliwoda has worked in real estate for nearly two decades but said he felt it was time for a change of scenery. A self-described “numbers guy,” he said he’s ready to take on the new role.

“I feel grateful that everyone came out to support me in the votes,” he said at the watch party. “The numbers at the end of the day played out in my favor.”

Democrat Leah Tillman Sullivan was narrowly leading incumbent Charles Sanders, who is currently deployed in the Middle East, as of noon Wednesday.

She held just a 30-vote lead — 4,335 to 4,305. The race was too close to call, with absentee ballots still needing to be counted to decide the winner.

Town Justice

Town Justice Eileen Powers was reelected to her seat after running unopposed, receiving 6,308 votes of support in Southold.

Ms. Powers has served more than eight years on the bench and is known for being fair, efficient and dedicated to justice and rehabilitation.

“There were other things on the ballot tonight, like democracy and rule of law,” Ms. Powers said. She celebrated the win with her peers Tuesday night at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company in Peconic.