East End Town Elections 2023: Supervisor Candidates and More in the Hamptons & North Fork

As voters head to seven early voting polling places opening on the East End this weekend ahead of Election Day, four dozen town seats are up for grabs across the five towns.

On the ballots are 16 positions in the Town of East Hampton, 10 seats in the Town of Southampton, eight posts each in the towns of Riverhead and Southold, as well as a half dozen elected jobs on Shelter Island. Ten — 20% of all East End town-level candidates — are running unopposed.

The election — considered an off-off-year election since there are no presidential, gubernatorial or midterm congressional candidates on ballots this year — is the first in recent memory, perhaps ever, in which there are no incumbent town supervisors running for re-election, as Dan’s Papers has exclusively reported. Also on ballots this year are the Suffolk County executive’s race, all 18 county legislative seats and a pair of propositions that affect upstate New York.

Here is a look at the Twin Forks town races that voters will be deciding.

East End Town Elections Voters Guide

TOWN OF EAST HAMPTON

Democratic East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez is running against Republican Gretta Leon, a first-term candidate, in the race to replace East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, a Democrat who declined to seek a fourth term.

The town’s top job isn’t the only turnover in East Hampton. Local attorneys David Filer, a Democrat, and Brian Lester, a Republican, are each vying to take over the bench from outgoing East Hampton Town Justice Lisa Rana, who declined to seek re-election.

In the town council race, one of the two seats on the ballot is vacant since two-term Councilwoman Sylvia Overby is not seeking re-election. East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys is running for re-election alongside fellow Democrat Tom Flight, a Montauk school board member, who are vying to keep the board a Democratic majority. Republicans in the race are Scott Smith, who works in construction, and Michael Wootton, a banker.

Seven of the nine town trustees seeking re-election are Francis Bock, Bill Taylor, John Aldred, David Cataletto, Tim Garneau, and Ben Dollinger, all of whom are Democrats, as well as Jim Grimes, who is running on the Democratic and Republican lines. Candidates running to fill two vacancies on the board in this race are Democrats Patrice Dalton and Celia Josephson as well as Republicans Kurt Kappel, John Dunning and Mark Edwards.

Of the town’s 16 races, two have no challengers. Running unopposed is East Hampton Town Superintendent of Highways Stephen Lynch, who is seeking re-election on both the Democratic and Republican lines. Also not facing opposition are Jeanne Nielsen and Jill Massa, who are similarly cross endorsed by the major parties as they run for a pair of town assessor seats.

TOWN OF RIVERHEAD

Former town police detective and current Riverhead Town Councilman Timothy Hubbard, a Republican, is running for town supervisor against Democrat Angela DeVito, who has served on the town Industrial Development Agency, Town Handicapped Committee, Town Animal Shelter Advisory Committee and Board of Education. Republican Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, Riverhead’s first Latina town supervisor, declined to seek a third term.

Since Hubbard is seeking higher office instead of re-election, and Riverhead Town Councilman Frank Beyrodt declined to run for another four-year term, there are two open seats on the town board this election cycle. Republicans seeking to maintain the GOP majority on the board are Joann Waski, who chairs the town planning board, and Denise Merrifield, a former Suffolk prosecutor. Democrats in the race are Rene Suprina, a retired teacher, and Andrew Leven, who is also a former prosecutor.

Riverhead Town Clerk Diane Wilhelm is not seeking re-election after 14 years in the post. Running to replace her are Democratic software engineer Josephine Passantino Makowski and Republican James Wooten, a former town board member.

Half of eight town races have no challenger. Running unopposed are Receiver of Taxes Laurie Zaneski, a Republican, and Lori Hulse, who is running on the Republican and Democratic lines. Also facing no opposition are Dana Brown and Meredith Lipinsky, the Republicans running for a pair of town assessor posts.

TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND

In the least populous town on Long Island, Shelter Island Town Supervisor Gerry Siller is not seeking a third term after challenger Arnott Gooding beat the incumbent for the Democratic line in that race during the June primary elections. Gooding now faces Republican Shelter Island Town Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams in the general election.

Running for two open seats on the town board are former councilman Albert Dickson and attorney Benjamin Dyett, who hope to recapture the Democratic majority on the panel that Republicans won in the last election. The GOP candidates are realtor Arthur Williams and Thomas Cronin, a retired town police officer.

Like Riverhead, half of the six races in the town are also unchallenged. Republican Shelter Island Town Clerk Amber Wilson is running unopposed for re-election, as is cross-endorsed Receiver of Taxes Annmarie Seddio. Kenneth Lewis Jr. is also cross-endorsed as he runs to replace the outgoing superintendent of highways.

TOWN OF SOUTHAMPTON

Running to replace four-term Democratic Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman — who is term-limited — are Republican Southampton Town Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara and Democratic Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Maria Moore.

Republican Southampton Town Councilman Richard Martel is the lone incumbent town board member running for re-election this cycle. His GOP running mate is William Parash, who currently serves on the town board of trustees. Democratic candidates in the race are Bill Pell, who is also a town trustee, and Michael Iasilli, an aide to outgoing Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac).

Southampton Town Receiver of Taxes Theresa Kiernan, a Republican, faces Democrat David Glazer, a retired health executive, in her bid for re-election.

Southampton Town Justice Gary Weber, a Republican, is running for re-election against Democratic challenger John Ortiz, an attorney.

Only two of the five town trustees are running for re-election: Republicans Scott Horowitz and Edward J Warner Jr. Their running mates are Mark Haslinger, Chip Maran and Daniel Martel. The five Democrats running for trustee seats are Matthew L Parsons, Rainbow Chavis, Daniel Van Arsdale, Margaret Friedlander and Joseph McLoughlin.

Southampton, the East End’s most populous town, is the only town where all of the races are competitive this year.

TOWN OF SOUTHOLD

Running to replace Republican Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, who isn’t running again after nearly two decades on the job, are Republican town truck company owner Donald Grim and outgoing Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue).

Republican Southold Town Councilwoman Jill Doherty is the lone incumbent on the town board running for re-election this year and there is an open seat up for grabs. Doherty’s GOP running mate is Town Attorney Stephen Kiely. Democrats in the race are Anne Smith, the former Mattituck-Cutchogue school district superintendent, and Gwynn Schroeder, who is also an aide to Krupski.

Southold Town Justice Daniel Ross, a Democrat, is running for re-election against Republican challenger Brian Hughes, an attorney. Running for an open seat on the town Board of Assessors are Democrat William Flinter and Republican Michael Goscinski.

Three races are uncontested in the town. Republican Southold Town Receiver of Taxes Kelly Fogarty is running unopposed for re-election. And running for re-election for a pair of town trustee seats are Democrat Nick Krupski and Republican Glenn Goldsmith.