Democratic voters pushed back against East Hampton Reform Democrats’ efforts to upend the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee’s picks for town justice and town trustee in Tuesday’s primary.
The mood was jubilant at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton on Tuesday night as members of the committee and Democratic elected officials celebrated sizable margins of victory for the committee’s candidates over those endorsed by the Reform Democrats, a faction that split from the party’s establishment last year.
According to the Suffolk County Board of Elections’ unofficial count, Andrew Strong, the committee’s nominee for town justice, easily held off a challenge to his nomination from Lisa R. Rana, a Republican incumbent endorsed by the Reform Democrats who had successfully petitioned to force a primary on the Democratic line. Mr. Strong won 986 votes to Ms. Rana’s 394.
“I feel so humbled and inspired by all of the work that you did,” Mr. Strong, who is the general counsel to Organizacion Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island, told supporters as the unofficial results pointed to a strong primary win over Ms. Rana. The Democratic Committee’s unmistakable advantage, he said, was “the boots on the ground, the people that went door to door” campaigning for its candidates. “I think we touched 2,500 doors. . . . To me that is a remarkable thing to do for a judicial primary.”
“History-making,” said Councilman David Lys, who attended the celebration along with Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.
“History-making, I like it!” Mr. Strong answered. “I think that there are two things that this result reflects. The first is our message, which is we’re looking forward to the future of this town.” The second, he said, “is our process.” Every seat on the Democratic Committee was contested less than a year ago, he said. “We’ve had open screenings, an open convention. This must be the most transparent, open process, and I think voters responded to that.”
Mr. Strong and Ms. Rana will face off again in the Nov. 5 general election, when Ms. Rana will appear on the Republican, Conservative, and Independence Party lines. In past elections, Ms. Rana had been cross-endorsed by the Democrats. She interviewed with the committee for its endorsement this year, but was passed over. She is also the village justice in Sag Harbor, where she was re-elected this month after running unopposed.
“I know I have a lot of local support, Democratic voices in this community,” Ms. Rana said on Tuesday as Reform Democrats gathered at the Clubhouse in Wainscott. “It was an unusual time to vote, a June primary, and I thank all of the individuals who supported me in this election and ask that they continue that support through the general election in November.”
For trustee, 12 candidates vied for the nine positions on the Democratic ticket, and all 9 of the Democratic Committee’s candidates earned more votes than the challengers endorsed by the Reform Democrats, who had also gathered enough signatures on nominating petitions to force the primary election.
Susan McGraw-Keber, an incumbent, received the most votes according to the unofficial tally, with 1,078. Bill Taylor, a deputy clerk, and Francis Bock, the trustee’s clerk, or presiding officer, won 1,029 and 1,025 votes, respectively. Tim Garneau, a first-time candidate, won 1,012 votes. All were endorsed by the Democratic Committee, as was Jim Grimes, a Republican seeking a third term, who won 1,042 votes.
Rick Drew, who is also seeking a third term, was next, with 968 votes. Both the Democratic Committee and the Reform Democrats endorsed Mr. Drew. Mike Martinsen, another new candidate, won 947 votes, followed by John Aldred, an incumbent, with 912, and Ben Dollinger, a first-time candidate, with 844 votes.
Dell Cullum, an incumbent who did not screen with the Democratic Committee, finished 10th, with 641 votes. He was followed by Stephen Lester, a former trustee, with 603 votes, and Rona Klopman, with 429 votes.
As owners of many of the town’s beaches and other common lands on the public’s behalf, the trustees would have to grant an easement or lease for the cable of the proposed South Fork Wind Farm should its developer, Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind, seek to land it at the end of Beach Lane in Wainscott, which it has identified as its preferred site. The Reform Democrats have criticized several elements of the proposed wind farm including the Wainscott landing.
Many Wainscott residents are strenuously opposed to a Wainscott landfall, which Orsted officials say affords the closest and most direct path to the Long Island Power Authority substation in East Hampton, and that issue was apparently on the minds of the hamlet’s voters on Tuesday. Wainscott was the only election district in which Mr. Cullum, Mr. Lester, and Ms. Klopman all bested their competitors.
Mr. Grimes will also appear on the Republican ballot in the Nov. 5 election along with Susan Vorpahl, an incumbent trustee, and the candidates David Talmage, Fallon Bloecker-Nigro, and Mike Havens. The Republicans are also supporting Mr. Cullum and Mr. Lester, though they will not appear on the G.O.P. line.
The Reform Democrats formed last year after an angrily contested Democratic Committee vote for a leader to succeed its outgoing chairwoman, Jeanne Frankl. Ms. Klopman was among committee members who accused Ms. Frankl of manipulating the vote to choose her successor. She filed an Article 78 proceeding to prevent that election. It was dismissed in State Supreme Court, and the Democrats elected Cate Rogers as their new chairwoman.
Ms. Klopman and David Gruber, who will challenge Mr. Van Scoyoc as the Independence Party’s candidate in the Nov. 5 election, are among those who comprise the “caucus within the Democratic Party,” as Mr. Gruber referred to the Reform Democrats.
Echoing Mr. Strong’s remarks on Tuesday night Mr. Van Scoyoc said, “I think tonight’s results are an affirmation of a very transparent and thorough process within the Democratic Party. . . . It’s affirmation that the selection process was open and transparent, and we look forward to the November election. . . . I’m very excited about the November election, we have a really fine group of individuals who have the best interests of the town at heart.”
Ms. Rogers continued that theme yesterday. “I thank the Democratic voters of East Hampton,” she said, “and I thank everyone for their hard work. These are new, invigorated, active neighbors who volunteer their time, who care about our community. . . . I thank the voters — their support for our candidates and overall message of a sustainable future for our town is inspiring.”
The Reform Democrats’ candidates for townwide office are endorsed by the East Hampton Independence Party. They hope to be grouped on a new ticket, the EH Fusion Party, on the Nov. 5 ballot, though that is in question because of an oversight: Its candidates neglected to file timely acceptance certificates for their nomination. Its candidates’ effort to appear on the Republican Party line was also unsuccessful.
Members of the Reform Democrats and Independence Party gathered at the Clubhouse on Tuesday had less reason to celebrate than their counterparts at Rowdy Hall. Both Ms. Klopman and Elaine Jones, chairwoman of the Independence Party, said the day had been a frustrating one, and both planned to file complaints yesterday with the board of elections. Ms. Klopman reported being “screamed at” by a fellow voter when she went to cast her ballot. Ms. Jones alleged inappropriate conversations had taken place at polling sites.
“They have a machine,” Ms. Klopman said yesterday of the Democratic Committee. “That machine was going all day yesterday. I should know — I was a part of it for years. But I’m not going to stop working. I’m not going to give up. They have no idea how hard I’m going to work. I have the Independence line, the Working Families line, and the Conservative line.”
Manny Vilar, chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee, accentuated the positive. “We believe we will get the broad base of support townwide in November,” he said on Tuesday night. “This,” the primary election, represented “a narrow, narrow slice of the community.”
With Reporting by
Christine Sampson