Talking with Tricia Chiaramonte, County Legislator Candidate

Democrat Tricia
 Chiaramonte is 
running against
 incumbent Republican
 Ed Romaine for 
County Legislator in
 Suffolk County’s First
 District, which consists 
of Shelter Island,
 Southold, Riverhead
 and the eastern
 portion of Brookhaven.
 Chiaramonte is 
campaigning in her 
unique low-key style,
 presenting her message
 in her own way. “I represent us. The people who work, the mothers with children, the people who live in the district.”

Having been active in Suffolk County Democratic Party activities since 1999, Chiaramonte believes she understands why her vision for the county is, “to get our fair share of county tax revenues.” She believes the present representation by Romaine has mishandled the “sex offender trailers issue in the district. I think we have too many out on the East End and not enough of them in the western part of the county, why is that? As a mother of children this issue concerns me a lot.”

Her maiden name is Keane. No hyphen? I asked. “Just Tricia Chiaramonte. I am proud of my husband who works for Verizon in the union. I am for union workers and preserving their rights and place in the workforce. They are the backbone.”

About the future of the county and budget cuts, Chiaramonte said, “Perhaps we can shrink the county government through retirement incentives, but fair ones that respect the time and loyal service the county workers have put in. Perhaps looking at a way to retire with honor and pensions those at 55 years of age and then make those jobs available to the young people in the county in need of jobs.”

Chiaramonte lives in Manorville and is a product of the Long Island education system, having attended Kings Park High School, Farmingdale College and Suffolk Community College. She has been employed at Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation in Hauppauge since 1989, working her way up from Cashier to Benefits Manager and Deputy Director Executive Administration, a position she has held since 2009. She said, “I am of the people, I am not an elite. I can represent us, absolutely.”

Chiaramonte has not yet decided the way she is going to campaign against Romaine. “As of now I am a name, a name on the ballot, I haven’t decided how I am going to get my message out,” she said. “Times are tough, people like my husband and I, with three children under 7, both of us working, know how tough it is. I love where I live, I love my neighbors, I will give them my best effort.”