Supervisor Jerry Halpin is running for re-election on the Democratic Party line.
The Riverhead Town Democratic Committee voted unanimously to nominate Halpin last night at the Dark Horse restaurant in Riverhead, committee Chairperson Laura Jens-Smith said in a text message this morning. No other people were nominated, she said.
“I look forward to having a wonderful campaign, supporting the voters, letting the taxpayers know that I’m working every day for them, and I plan on continuing that work of stopping the the piercing of the tax cap, working towards the goals that we have to bring new revenue to the town, to actually make a difference in that area, and continuing to grow our infrastructure for our town to be successful down the road,” Halpin said in a phone interview this morning.
“I feel very strongly about what I’m doing, and I love it, absolutely love it, and feel like I’m making a daily difference,” Halpin said. “I love the employees, love the town, getting out there and working for our town,” he said.
Asked what he plans to do to meet his goals of keeping under the 2% property tax levy limit, increasing revenues and growing infrastructure, Halpin said one of the initiatives he wants to pursue is “working with the county and the state to bring goods via the rail to EPCAL — not trash, not ash, not any of that stuff — but to get semis off the expressway.”
“It will help us tremendously to do that,” he said. “I know people have tried it in the past, and I’ve already spoken on different levels, but all that stuff I love, I love it,” he said.
Halpin won an upset victory over incumbent Supervisor Tim Hubbard by a mere 37 votes in November. He has to mount a re-election bid now even though he only took office last month because a state law enacted in 2024 cut the two-year supervisor’s term to one-year in 2025 only, requiring voters to elect a town supervisor again in 2026. That law, known as the Even-Year Election Law, forces the realignment of local elections so that they take place in even-numbered years, to coincide with state and federal elections.
The state a few years ago moved the party primary election from September to June. That pushed all the political calendar deadlines up, so that candidates must start circulating nominating petitions in February.
Riverhead Republicans on Feb. 4 tapped incumbent Council Member Ken Rothwell to challenge Halpin in the supervisor race. Rothwell was re-elected to his second four-year term on the Town Board in November. He had been appointed by the board to fill a vacancy left by the election of former Council Member Jodi Giglio to the State Assembly. Rothwell served one year of Giglio’s term in 2021 and was elected to his first four-year term that November.
“With great enthusiasm I look forward to the campaign ahead,” Rothwell said. “It is my intention to promote the work I have already accomplished, provide a plan for property tax relief while protecting our agricultural heritage and to continue making Riverhead a safer and more prosperous community for the next generation,” Rothwell said in a statement this afternoon.
Source: RiverheadLOCAL
