East End Town Election Results 2023: Krupski Flips Southold Supervisor Seat, Shelter Island a Squeeker, and Down-Ballot Upsets

Democrats flipped the Southold town supervisor’s seat but the Shelter Island town supervisor election results were too close to call after voters elected new town leaders across all five East End towns amid historic turnover.

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) won the race to replace outgoing Republican Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell. Arnott Gooding, the Democratic Shelter Island Town supervisor candidate, declined to concede and Republican Shelter Island Councilwoman Amber Bach-Williams did not declare victory in a race in which she’s leading by less than 50 votes and will be decided by absentee ballots.

East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez won the seat of her Democratic colleague East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, who declined to seek a third term. Riverhead Town Councilman Timothy Hubbard will replace fellow Republican Yvette Aguiar, who also declined to run again.

And Westhampton Beach Mayor Maria Moore won the seat of a fellow Democrat, term-limited Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

“I’m so grateful for the support of everyone in this room,” Moore told cheering supporters at the Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays, where the Southampton Town Democratic Committee held its election night watch party Tuesday night. “It’s a bittersweet moment because we had such wonderful candidates running with us and some of them just didn’t make it over the finish line. I’m regretful about that but we all shared a vision and I know they’ll continue to represent their communities just like we will.”

As Dan’s Papers has exclusively reported, elections officials say this Election Day was the first time in decades — perhaps ever — that there were no incumbents on the ballot in any of the five town supervisor races in the Hamptons or on the North Fork.

The historic turnover came as Suffolk County Executive-elect Ed Romaine became the first new county leader in 12 years since Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was term-limited and Romaine was the first Republican to win the seat in 20 years.

In addition, the political seachange came as voters also elected two brand new county legislative representatives: Ann Welker on the South Fork and Catherine Stark on the North Fork.

Moore beat Republican Southampton Town Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara by a margin of 56% to 43%, according to unofficial early election results tallied by the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Moore will have a supermajority on the town board, as Democrats Bill Pell and Michael Iasilli unseated Southampton Town Councilman Rick Martel, a Republican, and beat his GOP running mate William Parash. Gary Weber, a Republican Southampton town court justice, won re-election over Democratic challenger John Ortiz.

In East Hampton, Burke-Gonzalez trounced political newcomer Gretta Leon 67% to 32%, the early returns show. That town board will remain a Democratic supermajority, with David Lys and Tom Flight beating Republicans Scott Smith and Michael Wooton.

Democrat David Filer won 60% over Republican Brian Jester 39% in the race to replace outgoing East Hampton Town Justice Lisa Rana.

In Riverhead, Hubbard defeated Democrat Angela DeVito with 59% to 40% of the vote to become the next town supervisor, according to the BOE. Ensuring the Riverhead town board will remain solidly Republican are Denise Merrifield and Joann Waski, who beat Democrats Rene Suprina and Andrew Levin. Republican James Wootton also beat Democrat Josephine Makowski for town clerk.

In Southold, Krupski won in a landslide over Republican Donald Grim by a margin of 72% to 27%, tallies show. Democrat Anne Smith won an open seat on the town board and Republican Southold Town Councilwoman Jill Doherty won re-election, resulting in a split board.

Democrat Gwynn Schroeder and Republican Stephen Kiely both lost that four-way race. Democrat Daniel Ross beat Republican Brian Hughes in the Southold town court justice race.

And on Shelter Island, Democrat Albert Dickson regained his seat on the town board after being unseated two years ago. He and his running mate Benjamin Dyett beat Republicans Thomas Cronin and Arthur Williams.