Voters in Huntington and Smithtown have the chance to cast their ballot and make their voices heard in some highly contested primary races for county legislator, town supervisor, council members and superintendent of highways. Here are the candidates that will be on your ballot this primary.
Huntington Primaries
Edmund J Smyth and Dominic Spada are vying for the Conservative Party nomination for the position of Huntington Town Supervisor. Smyth is also running for the Republican nomination, along with Brooke A Lupinacci. Smyth, who began a four-year term as town supervisor in January 2022, is seeking re-election. In a video uploaded to the website friendsofedsmyth.com, Smyth accused his opponents of “running a completely fake campaign,” calling them “republicans in name only.”
Under the Working Families Party (WFP), Cooper Macco and Maria Delgado are competing for the town supervisor nomination, where voters will elect one candidate. Macco, having grown up in Huntington, is the vice chair of the Chamber of Commerce. WFP voters will also select between Chris Haines and Vincent E Colavita for Superintendent of Highways.
For town council primaries, voters from the Republican and Working Families Party will elect two candidates from each party. Eugene Cook, John Posillico, David P Bennardo and Gregory Grizopoulos are seeking the Republican nomination. Stephen Anastasia, Erick B Greene, George B Bergbuchler and Jen Hebert are running for the WFP nomination.
Smithtown Primaries
Robert Trotta and Edward R Wehrheim are running for the Republican nomination to be town supervisor. Trotta has served as a Suffolk County legislator for six terms, dating back to January 2014. Wehrheim, who is Smithtown’s current supervisor, is seeking re-election in a race that carries a lot of experience between the two candidates. Robert Semprini, Joann Tierney-Varello, Thomas J McCarthy and Lynne C Nowick are running for town council, and republican voters will elect two candidates.
Republican voters will elect one candidate for County Legislature for the 13th Legislative District, which encompasses Huntington and parts of Commack and Smithtown. Frank Black and Salvatore Formica are vying for the nomination. Formica, a retired Second-Grade Detective with the NYPD’s Elite Emergency Unit and Ex-Chief of the Commack Fire Department is supported by the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association (PBA).
“Recently, law enforcement officers have come under attack by woke politicians looking to defund us and replace us with social workers,” Suffolk County PBA President Louis Civello said in a statement endorsing Formica. “Sal Formica not only backs the blue, he is one of us.”
In both towns, it’s clear voters will have a lot to choose from during these primaries — all of which will help set the stage for future general elections. Early voting began on Saturday, June 14, and will last until Sunday, June 22, up until the actual election day on Tuesday, June 24. Voters can confirm they are a registered member of a specific party to vote in the primary elections by visiting voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. Absentee ballots can also be requested by visiting elections.ny.gov/request-ballot.
