Latest news with #EdWehrheim
New York Post
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Long Island incumbents hang on in chaotic GOP primary plagued by scandals and infighting
Two top Suffolk County Republicans fended off primary challengers Tuesday night — including one town leader who dodged a growing controversy with a major boost from local police unions. 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.
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Long Island politician vows to ‘get to the bottom' of claims his daughter's boyfriend stalked election rival
A Long Island politician vowed to 'get to the bottom' of claims his adult daughter's boyfriend stalked a rival lawmaker – after he faces the alleged victim in Tuesday's Republican primary. Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim's campaign had initially denied accusations that 47-year-old Joshua Smith, who's dating his daughter, was connected to a string of unsettling late-night visits at the home of Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta. But after Smith was arrested and charged with stalking Monday night, just hours before polls opened, the supervisor's camp changed its tone. Advertisement 4 Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim participates in the St. James Chamber Of Commerce NY for the May Meeting, hosted at the Mercedes-Benz of Smithtown., May 7., 2025. Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim/Facebook 'Right now we're focusing on getting through the election today,' a campaign spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday morning. 'After that, the Supervisor and I plan on getting to the bottom of this entire situation. No one wants to get to the truth in this matter more than him.' But Trotta told The Post that Wehrheim's attitude about the alleged incident 'boggles' his mind. Advertisement 'It boggles my mind how [Wehrheim] can sit there and call this an allegation and try to ignore it when the police set up a plate reader and caught him at his house,' Trotta said. Some of Smith's neighbors said Tuesday the claims didn't match up with the person they knew. 4 Legislator Robert Trotta is pictured in campaign materials. 'He's just such a nice guy, I don't know if I believe he did it — it's politics,' one neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told The Post. Advertisement Wehrheim's campaign distanced the incumbent from the allegations. 'Anyone who has ever worked with, or has met Ed Wehrheim… knows that he is a man who treats everyone with dignity and respect and lives every day to serve his community,' the spokesperson said. 'He would never condone or tolerate any sort of behavior that defies basic decency.' 4 Smith was arrested and charged with stalking just hours before the polls opened. The supervisor believes 'anyone who breaks the law should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' the spokesperson added. Advertisement Smith is accused of pulling up to Trotta's home for three straight nights starting June 16 — loudly revving his Chevy's engine, blasting his high beams through the front windows. On at least one occasion, he allegedly slashed and spray-painted Trotta's campaign signs, according to the Suffolk County Police Department and Trotta. Trotta told The Post that the harassment started just days after the killing of two state legislators in Minnesota — leaving the county lawmaker fearing this could lead to a similar fate if unchecked. 4 Trotta told The Post that Wehrheim's attitude about the alleged incident 'boggles' his mind. Suffolk County Legislature 'I was more worried about the safety of my wife and family more than anything,' Trotta said. 'My neighbor even came up to me after the second night and said he's fearing for my safety.' Smith was arrested and charged Monday, less than 24 hours before the polls opened in a primary that would decide the Republican candidate on the ballot for Smithtown Supervisor. Trotta is challenging Wehrheim for the seat he's held for over seven years.
