The Republicans celebrated their wins on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Stereo Garden in Patchogue Village.
For Brookhaven Town Council, Republicans managed to maintain the majority with Republican Karen Dunne Kesnig taking councilman Dan Panico’s District 6 vacated seat.
She won overwhelmingly, with over 68 percent of the votes to Democratic candidate Dr. Kerry Spooner’s just over 4,200 votes. Dunne Kesnig is from Manorville, currently serves on the town’s planning board, and is the president of the Manorville Chamber of Commerce.
Current republican Brookhaven Town supervisor Ed Romaine flipped the Suffolk County executive seat, which will be vacated by term-limited Democrat Steve Bellone.
Romaine won with over 57 percent of the vote with 158,452 votes to former federal and state prosecutor and Democrat Dave Calone’s 119,052 votes.
“Do you want a more affordable Suffolk County? Do you want your children to grow up here? Your grandparents to grow up here? You want them to stay here?” Suffolk County Republican chairman Jesse Garcia said. “Ladies and gentlemen, the man who will do it: Suffolk County executive Edward P. Romaine.”
Romaine’s top goals include ensuring the financial stability of the county government; clean water for Suffolk County; public safety; dealing with environmental challenges; and reducing waste.
“We will move this county forward. We sent a message: paint this county red!” said Romaine, also thanking his wife, Diane, onstage. “There were many signs, but the one sign that somebody […] held up was a sign that said, ‘Bring us together,’ and as your county executive elect, I intend to bring all of Suffolk together, with a common-sense agenda that moves us forward and keeps our taxes low, that keeps us affordable, and that makes sure we are safer.”
As town supervisor, Romaine would have been up for reelection this year. Instead, Brookhaven Town deputy supervisor Dan Panico secured the seat as the Republican candidate with nearly 62 percent of the vote with almost 55,000 votes to Brookhaven Democratic chairwoman and the former mayor of Hamden, Conn., Lillian Clayman’s just over 33,000 votes.
“The 71st supervisor in the history of the Town of Brookhaven… Dan Panico,” Garcia said, introducing the newly elected supervisor.
“What we won tonight is the right to govern, and with that right comes a tremendous responsibility, and that is to govern correctly,” he said, addressing the crowd. “Whether you voted for me or not, I am going to govern for everyone in this town.”
Panico’s priorities include crime, redevelopment, and affordability; establishing government consolidation and efficiency; and keeping taxes low.
In the town highway department, Republican incumbent Dan Losquadro was reelected with over 61 percent of the vote and over 54,000 votes to Democratic candidate Michael D. Kaplan’s just over 33,000 votes.
“We showed for the past 11 years what Republican governance can deliver here in the Town of Brookhaven,” said Losquadro, also noting being proud of Romaine being elected to county executive.
As for the county legislature, in the 3rd District, incumbent Jim Mazzarella took the win with over 68 percent of the votes to Democratic contender Thad O’Neil’s just over 4,200 votes.
The full unofficial results of Tuesday’s election can be found on the Suffolk County Board of Elections website.
DISCLAIMER: All vote tallies are not final counts and based off the initially released unofficial votes. Absentee ballots are still to be counted and announced.
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