Elections 2023: Meet the East End Town Supervisor Candidates
Voters will choose new supervisors of all five East End towns this Election Day, ushering in a historic political sea change since no incumbents for these top posts sought re-election this year.
All four candidates are women on the South Fork. Democratic East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez is running against Republican Gretta Leon to replace outgoing East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc. And Republican Southampton Town Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara faces Democratic Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Maria Moore in the bid to succeed term-limited Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.
On the North Fork, Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) and Republican Donald Grim are vying to replace outgoing Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell. And Riverhead Town Councilman Timothy Hubbard, a Republican, is up against Democrat Angela DeVito to fill the seat being vacated by Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar.
And on Shelter Island, Democrat Arnott Gooding faces Republican Shelter Island Town Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams in the race to replace outgoing Shelter Island Town Supervisor Gerald Siller.
As Dan’s Papers has exclusively reported, this is the first time in decades, perhaps ever, that all five Twin Forks town supervisor races have no incumbents on ballots this fall at the same time that voters will also be replacing the Suffolk County executive and the county legislators for the Hamptons and the North Fork.
Here is a look at the East End town supervisor candidates.
EAST HAMPTON TOWN SUPERVISOR RACE
Kathee Burke-Gonzalez
Burke-Gonzalez, the Democratic candidate, is currently the East Hampton Deputy Supervisor, a position she’s held since 2021. She was first elected to the Town Board in 2013. Prior to her career in politics, Burke-Gonzalez graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing/Management from Siena College. She then spent 30 years working in advertising. In 2004, Burke-Gonzalez was elected to the Springs School Board. She served for nine years, spending two of them as board president. If elected, Burke-Gonzalez aims to modernize the East Hampton government so it can serve the needs of residents more effectively. She is endorsed by the Sierra Club of Long Island, Eleanor’s Legacy, the Building and Construction Trades of Nassau & Suffolk Counties-AFL-CIO, the Newsday Editorial Board, the Working Families Party and the New York League of Conservation Workers.
Gretta Leon
Leon, 36, the Republican nominee, is originally from Costa Rica, but was raised in East Hampton. She attended the Latin American University of Science in Technology in Costa Rica, before earning a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Leon works in an office for a landscaping company. Although she has never held a public office position, she is determined to tackle problems such as economic issues, affordable housing, and quality of life issues facing the town. She will also look to improve water quality, as well as fight for better working conditions, especially for those within the infrastructure and highway department. She additionally plans on reevaluating the status of the East Hampton Airport.
RIVERHEAD TOWN SUPERVISOR RACE
Timothy Hubbard
Hubbard is running on the Republican and Conservative party lines. A current two-term town councilman and former Board of Education member, Hubbard is a lifelong resident of Riverhead, having grown up there and served 32 years in the Riverhead Police Department, retiring as a detective. On the issues, Hubbard wants to see more funding for police, the sale of the EPCAL property, revitalization of Main Street, refurbishment of the old town hall, a new ambulance headquarters, keeping homeless shelters and sober houses neighborhood friendly, and a moratorium on the industrial development in the Calverton/Baiting Hollow area.
Angela DeVito
DeVito is running on the Democratic and Working Families line. She is a 23-year resident of Riverhead, and has served in a multitude of capacities including president and secretary of the civic association, a Riverhead Board of Education member, a member of the Town Industrial Development Agency, and a member of the Town Animal Shelter Advisory Committee. On the issues, DeVito wants to make Riverhead more affordable, lower crime, revitalize downtown and Route 58, make good use of the EPCAL property, and maintain the natural environment of Riverhead. DeVito was endorsed by the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees (AME).
SHELTER ISLAND TOWN SUPERVISOR RACE
Arnott Gooding
Gooding, who previously served on the Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board, won the June Democratic primary over the incumbent, Siller, who was seeking a third straight term but has since dropped out of the race. Gooding’s running mates are Albert K. Dickson, a former Shelter Island Town council member mounting a comeback bid, and Benjamin Dyett, an attorney who is a political newcomer. If elected, Gooding has said he plans to prioritize environmental issues while bringing a more business-like approach to town hall.
Amber Brach-Williams
Republican Town Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams, who has served as deputy town supervisor for years, is seeking higher office after her GOP colleagues won the majority on the town board two years ago. She has been a certified public accountant for more than three decades who received her master’s in business administration from The Wharton School — skills she relies on in helping manage taxpayer-funded budgetary expenses. She has also said she prioritizes improving local water quality.
SOUTHAMPTON TOWN SUPERVISOR RACE
Cynthia McNamara
McNamara, 45, is a Republican Southampton Town councilwoman. In 2017, she formed the Concerned Citizens of East Quoque to keep residents more informed. She was later named to the East Quoque Citizen’s Advisory in 2018, before being elected chair of the committee the following year. She was also a member of the East Quoque Village Exploratory Committee. McNamara served on the East Quoque Board of education, where she worked to lower local tax rates through the Community Preservation Fund Payment in Lieu of Taxes. If elected, McNamara hopes to prevent New York State lawmakers from overriding local zoning. She also wants to work to come up with attainable goals regarding energy conservation. Another main concern is traffic, and she wants to make improvements to the Long Island Rail Road.
Moore, 63, the Democratic candidate, has served as Village of Westhampton Beach mayor for the past nine years. She has also been an attorney for 35 years. While mayor, Moore ensured that a new sewer system was put in place, as it was on the verge of collapsing. She was able to work with contractors and raised money through grants to avoid raising taxes. She often met with community members to address any concerns they had. If elected, Moore plans on addressing water quality, in addition to traffic congestion and opportunities for workforce housing. She wants to work on repairing failing infrastructure, and evaluate regulations and zoning, keeping local businesses in mind.
SOUTHOLD TOWN SUPERVISOR RACE
Al Krupski
Krupski, running on the Democratic and Conservative lines, is a multigenerational Southold resident, and the owner of Krupski Farms in Peconic. He previously served on the Southold Town Board of Trustees for 20 years, including a stint as trustee president. He has been a Suffolk County legislator since 2013, and decided to forgo running for re-election to that seat this year to run for Southold supervisor. Throughout his political career, Krupski has been an advocate for preserving Southold’s green space and keeping the Peconic Bay estuary clean. Krupski is known for being a conservative Democrat, and for his bipartisanship in the legislature.
Donald Grim
Grim is running for town supervisor on the Republican ticket. He is a resident of Cutchogue, with 35 years of private sector experience as a recycling manager. On the issues, Grim would like to see less use of chemicals in the Town of Southold, and he’d also like to do more road work and add storm drains. Grim would also like to transfer tax money to start an affordable housing program in the township. On the migrant issue, Grim hopes to follow along with Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, should Romaine be elected Suffolk County Executive. Grim told Patch that businesses struggling due to inflation should rethink their business plan.
Vetted Hamptons Resources
