Long Island incumbents hang on in chaotic GOP primary plagued by scandals and infighting
Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim appeared to have narrowly held onto his seat after a vicious GOP primary against Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta with a 700-vote lead, according to unofficial county Board of Elections tallies on Wednesday.
The adult boyfriend of Wehrheim's daughter had been arrested for stalking Trotta just two days before the election but any bad press was countered by strong backing from the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association in favor of the seven-year incumbent.
Advertisement
3 Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim narrowly survived holding onto his seat in the GOP primary against Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta.
Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim/Facebook
'Last night, the people of Smithtown made their voices heard loud and clear,' Wehrheim told The Post on Wednesday.
Some 400 PBA officers were said to have campaigned door-to-door for Wehrheim or worked phone banks
Advertisement
'Ed Wehrheim and Smithtown are the embodiment of the Back The Blue movement,' PBA President Lou Civello said in an interview.
Civello said the union would never support Trotta, who he called a 'RINO,' or 'Republican in name only,' and said his Zohran Mamdani-aligned stance on deferring some responsibility from cops over to mental health professionals and social workers makes him a 'traitor to the party' and inspired the PBA's mobilization efforts.
Trotta, a 25-year Suffolk police veteran and the department's 2001 detective of the year, told The Post he believes the real reason behind the PBA's efforts is because of the role he played in helping lock up former police commissioner James Burke — who served 40 months for beating a handcuffed inmate with a group of officers and covering it up.
Meanwhile, Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth crushed challenger Brooke Lupinacci with 61% of the vote, also securing the top spot on the ballot for the Conservative party as well as the Republican nomination in the deep red district.
Advertisement
Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here!
Huntington's primary was centered on disagreements over visions of what future development for the town should look like.
'I knew I was right on the issues, I knew I would never get outworked on the campaign trail and I know that the residents of Huntington focus on the issues,' Smythe told the crowd after his win at the American Legion Hall in Halesite Tuesday.
On the other side of the aisle, Maria Delgado easily defeated Cooper Macco in a Working Families Party primary for Huntington supervisor, while Chris Haines beat Vincent Colavita for the town's highway superintendent.
Advertisement
3 Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth easily won his contest against Brooke Lupinacci, receiving 61% of the total vote.
Ed Smyth / Facebook
Two GOP primaries were also held for the open seats on the Suffolk County Legislature where the incumbents — including Trotta — hit their term limits.
Lindenhurst Deputy Mayor Richard Renna defeated Brightwaters prosecutor Shawn Cullinane with 67% of the vote, and retired NYPD detective Sal Formica topped Huntington building supervisor Frank Black with 59%.
In town board races, Smithtown Republican incumbents Thomas McCarthy and Lynne Nowick won with about 29% each.
3 Smyth's victory granted him the top spot in Huntington's primary for the Republican nomination.
Ed Smyth / Facebook
In Huntington, incumbent David Bennardo took the win while his ally, Gregory Grizopoulous, both Republicans, will be at the top of the ticket for the seat that Councilman Sal Ferro will vacate.
Despite the record-setting temperatures, voter turn-out was on par with previous years at about 12%, according to election Commissioner Betty Manzella.
The results set the stage for a high-stakes general election this fall, and with primaries now behind them, candidates are turning their focus to the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
28 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump's tax law could cause Medicare cuts if Congress doesn't act, CBO says
WASHINGTON — The federal budget deficits caused by President Donald Trump's tax and spending law could trigger automatic cuts to Medicare if Congress does not act, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported Friday. The CBO estimates that Medicare, the federal health insurance program for Americans over age 65, could potentially see as much as $491 billion from 2027 to 2034 if Congress does not act to mitigate a 2010 law that forces across-the-board cuts to many federal programs once legislation increases the federal deficit. The latest report from CBO showed how Trump's signature tax and spending law could put new pressure on federal programs that are bedrocks of the American social safety net. Trump and Republicans pledged not to cut Medicare as part of the legislation, but the estimated $3.4 trillion that the law adds to the federal deficit over the next decade means that many Medicare programs could still see cuts. In the past, Congress has always acted to mitigate cuts to Medicare and other programs, but it would take some bipartisan cooperation to do so. Democrats, who requested the analysis from CBO, jumped on the potential cuts. 'Republicans knew their tax breaks for billionaires would force over half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts — and they did it anyway,' said Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, in a statement. 'American families simply cannot afford Donald Trump's attacks on Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare.' Hospitals in rural parts of the country are already grappling with cuts to Medicaid, which is available to people with low incomes, and cuts to Medicare could exacerbate their shortfalls. As Republicans muscled the bill through Congress and are now selling it to voters back home, they have been highly critical of how CBO has analyzed the bill. They have also argued that the tax cuts will spur economic growth and pointed to $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals that was included in the package.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Treasury sets limits on remaining wind and solar tax credits
The Treasury Department issued guidance on Friday that narrows which wind and solar energy projects can receive the remaining tax credits that were largely eliminated under the Republicans 'big, beautiful bill.' The legislation passed by Republicans last month axes the credits for projects that don't begin producing electricity by 2028. However, it contains an exemption for projects that begin construction over the next year. Under the law, those projects would remain eligible for the subsidies even if they don't produce electricity under the specified time frame. The Trump administration's new guidance, however, sets further restrictions on which projects are considered having begun construction. It says that construction of these projects must be 'continuous.' It also defines 'having begun construction' as having done 'physical work of a significant nature.' This includes activities like manufacturing equipment and excavating land to begin placing equipment in it. But it excludes activities like only having done surveys, test drilling or excavation for purposes of altering the landscape. The guidance also says that even if the project meets those other requirements, it still must produce electricity by the end of the fourth calendar year after it begins construction. The renewable energy industry criticized the guidance, saying it would slow the buildup of low-carbon energy sources. 'This is yet another act of energy subtraction from the Trump administration that will further delay the buildout of affordable, reliable power. American families and businesses will pay more for electricity as a result of this action, and China will continue to outpace us in the race for electricity to power AI,' said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, in a written statement. Climate advocates hurled similar criticisms. 'The Trump administration's new tax credit guidance represents yet another senseless attack on clean energy that will drive up electricity costs, make our energy grid less reliable, harm our economy and lead to more deaths and disease from harmful air pollution. The guidance places significant new obstacles on solar and wind projects,' said Vickie Patton, general counsel, Environmental Defense Fund, in a written statement. The maneuvers come after disagreements between more moderate and conservative Republicans over how rapidly to eliminate the credits. President Trump apparently told House Freedom Caucus members he would further restrict the tax credits if they supported his bill. After it passed, he issued an executive order telling the Treasury Department to take a strict approach to limit the tax incentives. Trump has also in recent weeks used other policies to go after renewables, including efforts to slow federal approvals of wind and solar projects. Even before it came out, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and John Curtis (R-Utah), who are more supportive of renewables than many of their GOP colleagues, raised concerns about the Treasury guidance.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Noem's free stay in military housing after death threats sparks Dem barbs
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been staying rent free in the home reserved for the top Coast Guard official following death threats, drawing scrutiny and criticism from congressional Democrats. The Department of Homeland Security said it was a wide range of death threats, as well as reporting that showed the area around Noem's Navy Yard condo, that spurred the unusual arrangement at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, where the Coast Guard commandant typically lives. 'Following the media's publishing of the location of Secretary Noem's Washington DC apartment, she has faced vicious doxing on the dark web and a surge in death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels, and criminals gangs that DHS targets. Due to threats and security concerns, she has been forced totemporarily stay in secure military housing. Secretary Noem continues to pay rent for her Navy Yard residence,' Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The move has prompted criticism from some Democrats who say Noem is improperly using military resources, as traditionally cabinet officials pay fair market value to stay in federal housing that would otherwise be occupied by top military officials. 'Federal government coffers are not Noem's personal piggy bank, and Coast Guard service members are not her servants. Noem must pay her part. If she requires accommodations for her security, she should brief Congress and request appropriate resources—not take over property from the Coast Guard,' Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said in a statement. The Washington Post first reported that Noem was staying in the commandant's residence rent-free, while the Daily Mail first reported that the secretary had moved there in July. McLaughlin went on to criticize The Post for 'chos[ing] to again publish where Secretary Noem is staying—endangering her security.' 'It's a shame that the media chooses sensationalism over the safety of people enforcing America's laws to keep Americans safe,' she added. But Democrats argue that the arrangement takes advantage of the Coast Guard – one that comes after Noem has come under fire for routinely using the service's jet. The quarters for the Coast Guard commandant would typically be held by Adm. Kevin Lunday, the No. 2 official who is leading the Coast Guard in an acting capacity but who has not yet been nominated to the role. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), told the Post that the commandant's houseis 'not a vanity residence' and that Noem is 'essentially taking that property from the military.' 'It's a real insult to the brave men and women who are protecting our shores that she thinks that house belongs to her instead of to the Coast Guard,' Murphy said. While cabinet officials are not provided housing, military personnel are given a housing allowance based on their rank, family size, and location. According to The Post, Coast Guard members typically use those funds to pay for a lease, including at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Noem has previously come under fire for tapping into Coast Guard resources. In May, the Coast Guard added $50 million to their budget request in order to fund the purchase of a new plane that would largely be used by Noem, sparking outrage from Democratic appropriators. 'I was horrified last Friday when we received a last minute addition to your spend plan for fiscal '25, a new $50 million Gulfstream 5 for Secretary Noem's personal travel coming from the Coast Guard budget. She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way, this is a new one,' Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, said at the time. The Department of Homeland Security has defended the request. 'The current CG-101 G550 is over twenty years old, outside of Gulfstream's service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft,' McLaughlin said in May. 'This is a matter of safety. Much like the Coast Guard's ships that are well beyond their service life and safe operational usage, Coast Guard's aircraft are too. This Administration is taking action to restore our Nation's finest maritime Armed Service to a capable fighting force.' The Post on Friday reported that Noem has been using the Coast Guard jet extensively since taking office, including for nine personal trips to South Dakota. Federal law requires those trips to be reimbursed at the same cost as a seat on a commercial flight, which McLaughlin told The Post Noem has done. Thompson on Friday referenced the jet as another example of Noem stretching the resources of the Coast Guard. 'If Secretary Noem is living rent-free in military housing, she should be ashamed. Reports that she is also using Coast Guard executive jets for extensive personal travel…are just as despicable. Secretary Noem's focus seems to be on pampering herself at taxpayer expense, even as she directs the inhumane and unlawful treatment of so many,' he said.
