Ten of the 13 town supervisors across Long Island are up for re-election Nov. 8, offering a handful of hot contests. Chief among them are two East End comeback candidates challenging the first-term incumbents who unseated them.
Ex-Republican Southampton Supervisor Linda Kabot is running a write-in campaign against her Democratic successor, Anna Throne-Holst. Kabot lost in 2009 after a campaign-season drunken driving arrest but was later acquitted.
In Riverhead, Democrat Phil Cardinale aims to oust Republican Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter, who beat Cardinale by 249 votes.
Democratic Shelter Island Supervisor James Dougherty has two challengers: Councilman Glenn Waddington, an independent candidate, who wants a rematch, and GOP challenger Bob DeStefano, a retired country club golf pro.
Most hopefuls in the other races are either perennial candidates or public officials—or both.
Republican Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto’s Democratic opponent is John Capobianco, a Farmingdale school board member who’s run for Assembly and town clerk. Democratic Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko faces Republican Cecile Forte, a former Suffolk County Community College dean who ran for town clerk last year.
Republican Tom Croci, an aide to state Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), wants to unseat Democratic Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan. Republican Southold Supervisor Scott Russell faces Democrat Robert Meguin, a town apointee. Republican East Hampton Supervisor Bill Wilkinson confronts Democrat Zachary Cohen, a town committeeman.
Republican Lee Tu is seeking a rematch against Democratic North Hempstead Supervisor John Kaiman.
The lone citizen-turned candidate besides DeStefano is Democrat Gary Port, an attorney challenging GOP Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray.
Huntington and Smithtown supervisors are not up for re-election. If Democratic Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone wins the county executive seat, the town board will appoint a replacement.