East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, who is rumored to be mulling a 2026 run for East Hampton Town supervisor, said last week that he had not “made a final decision” and won’t do so until after the election this November.
“I really enjoy being mayor. Nothing pleases me more than when a resident comes to me with a problem that I can fix,” he said last Thursday. “That gives me a lot of satisfaction, and I know I’m ready to be more than village mayor.”
Town Supervisor Kathee-Burke Gonzalez, a Democrat, is running unopposed on this year’s ballot. When she wins, however, it will be only for a one-year term.
In December 2023, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation shifting most town elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years in an effort to boost voter turnout. The law does not affect the terms for people elected in November 2023, meaning that Councilmen David Lys and Tom Flight will not be up for re-election until 2027.
As a result, the only town race on the 2026 ballot will be for supervisor.
However, other candidates running for what would have been four-year terms will only serve three-year terms, with those positions again on the ballot in 2028. The town board positions that expire in 2027 would be shortened in the following term to comply with the even-year election cycle.
“I was recently contacted by the New York State Democratic Committee,” continued Mayor Larsen, “and they asked me if I wanted to run for state senator. But with the chaos going on in my own town, and people constantly asking if I can run for town supervisor and fix the mess, I’ve been thinking, ‘Why go to Albany when I can help a town I’ve been a resident of my entire life?’ “
Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez, meanwhile, made clear that she plans to seek re-election in 2026. “Serving the residents of East Hampton Town is the greatest honor of my life, and I fully intend to earn their vote in November 2025 and again in 2026,” she said in a statement.
“In my first term as town supervisor I am incredibly proud to have continued to build more affordable housing per capita than any other town on Long Island, restored our beaches and dunes after devastating storms, expanded programs and facilities for our kids and families, and so much more. I’m proud of that progress, and I know there’s more work to do. Others may talk about running for the job, but I am solely concerned about getting the job done. I will never back down from fighting for the future our community deserves,” she wrote.
Anna Skrenta, the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee chairwoman, was sticking by the supervisor.
“Kathee loves the job. She is nowhere near being finished with what she wants to accomplish for the town,” she said.
Assuming the town Democratic Committee chooses to support Ms. Burke-Gonzalez again in 2026, Mr. Larsen, who has been a registered Democrat since 2019 (he was endorsed by Republicans when ran unsuccessfully for town board in 2017), would have to prevail in a primary to be the Democratic candidate.
“If he doesn’t get nominated by the committee, he has the option to file a designating petition, collect the required signatures, and challenge Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez in a primary,” said Ms. Skrenta. She added, however, that “East Hampton Town’s Democratic Committee is not compelled to do anything to support a candidate who wins a primary against our candidate.”
Mayor Larsen’s term runs until June 2028. Should he win the primary and then the general election, it’s likely that he would resign as village mayor after the general election. The town supervisor term would begin in January 2027.
For now, he indicated that he was on a sort of listening tour, speaking with town employees, local lawyers, builders, and real estate agents.
Jon Tarbet, a lawyer who has filed two lawsuits against the town this year, said Mayor Larsen had asked him to reach out to other lawyers so he could meet with them and discuss issues they find important.
“ ‘Let me start by hearing,’ is what he’s saying. I think he’s done a great job running the village,” Mr. Tarbet said. “I think he truly wants to run to make a difference.”
J.P. Foster, who is running as a Republican for town board this year in a race that could be viewed as a proxy for a possible Larsen/Burke-Gonzalez matchup, was noncommittal on the idea of a potential Larsen candidacy. The two have worked together in East Hampton Village for over three decades. Mr. Foster, the head of the village’s emergency dispatch center, is set to retire in September. Mr. Larsen was on the village police force for decades and ended his career as its chief.
“I get along very well with Jerry. If he decided to run, wonderful. If he decided not to run, wonderful. I’m neutral on the whole thing. I wish him luck if he does run. I don’t know that he is.”
According to the Suffolk County Board of Elections, as of February 2024, there were approximately 19,000 registered voters in East Hampton Town: 9,388 were registered Democrats, 3,863 were Republicans, and 5,627 were not affiliated with a party.
