Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez Monday morning, just two days before her high-stakes debate with East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, who has run a tough Democratic primary race against the incumbent.
"Kathee Burke-Gonzalez has delivered real results for East Hampton, and I am proud to endorse her re-election as town supervisor," the governor said in a Monday morning press release. "Kathee knows how to work with partners at every level of government and bring resources home for the people she serves. From expanding affordable housing and advancing clean energy to protecting East Hampton's coastline, she has fought for the priorities that matter to local families. I'm excited to keep working with Kathee to build on that progress and deliver even more for East Hampton and for New York."
The town has received over $3 million in state funding to assist in affordable housing projects, including recent grants to add wastewater infrastructure to a planned Route 114 affordable housing development.
The release, from the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee, highlighted the many areas of cooperation between the state and town over the last few years.
"The town and state have partnered on environmental protection and public safety efforts, including $2.5 million for dune restoration and shoreline protection work at Ditch Plains and $2.2 million for wildfire mitigation and forest management in Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks," it read. "East Hampton has also received a $200,000 Climate Smart Communities award to develop a townwide natural resources inventory, supporting long-term conservation and planning."
The supervisor was among dozens of Long Island politicians to endorse the governor as of last month.
Governor Hochul also endorsed Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez during her 2025 re-election campaign. She is running again just one year later because of a change in New York State law aligning local elections with national ones.
Mayor Larsen began signaling a run for town supervisor last fall. He interviewed with town Democrats over the winter, but when they did not choose him over Ms. Burke-Gonzalez as their candidate, he launched a primary challenge. He has cited "dysfunction" in the town's Building Department and mismanagement of the stalled senior center project as reasons for his run.
"I'm not surprised," he said Monday of Governor Hochul's announcement. "I think it's more telling that her [Ms. Burke-Gonzalez's] employees are not endorsing her; neither the police union nor the C.S.E.A. [the Civil Service Employees Association]."
In addition to challenging the incumbent himself, he put up a slate of 38 challengers to the current Democratic Committee members. All of the activity has made the June 23 Democratic primary more interesting than usual.
"Governor Hochul's endorsement means so much because it reflects the partnership we have built and the work we have done together for East Hampton," the supervisor said in the release. "Together, we have worked to create more homes people can afford, protect our coastline, support clean energy, help safeguard our community from wildfire risk, and bring real resources home. For me, this has always been about caring for our community, protecting the places we love, and making sure people can build their lives here for generations to come."
