(Great report from today's other big race here in NY - promoted by phillip anderson)
The Brookhaven Town Democratic party defended the 9 months remaining on the vacated Supervisor term of Brian Foley who won the 3rd State Senate seat defeating Caesar Trunzo 59% - 41% this past November.
Town Democrats recruited Mark Lesko of Setauket, who was a ten year Federal prosecutor and headed the LI DOJ region. Lesko may be best known as the prosecutor of the Muttontown Slave Case. Lesko had WFP cross endorsement and major union support in the race.
Republicans countered with their 5th council district member Tim Mazzei of Blue Point. He was the leader of the Republicans 4-3 town board majority with the Democrats holding the Supervisor and two council districts to the Republicans four districts. Mazzei received the IP and Conservative endorsements. |
| The remaining townwide offices of Supt. of Hwy and Town Clerk are controlled by Democrats with the Tax Receiver held by a Republican. There are 284,836 registered voters but a end of March Special Election would be expected to be a low turnout affair. As it turned out some 40,540 voted today. The results are:
LESKO, MARK J
Democratic 20,144 49.69% 49.69%
Working Families 2,201 5.43% 5.43%
Total 22,345 55.12% 55.12%
MAZZEI, TIMOTHY P
Republican 13,487 33.27% 33.27%
Independence 1,597 3.94% 3.94%
Conservative 3,111 7.67% 7.67%
Total 18,195 44.88% 44.88%
A solid 10 point win for Lesko is huge and as much a win as Brian Foley ever enjoyed in Brookhaven. I knew that Mazzei was in trouble at 9 PM as I closed a three ED school in Patchogue next door to Mazzei home village of Blue Point and well inside his 5th Council District seat. Mazzei won the entire three districts by a collective 5 votes. I knew if his own district where he is known best was this close the North Shore Stony Brook area district that is heavily Democratic would be murder for Mazzei.
The big question now is wll Mazzei make this a November rematch or opt to defend his 5th Council seat instead. Keep in mind that 4-3 majority is at stake. If Mazzei defends, Lesko will have a much weaker opponent in November. If a rematch, the Democrats could carry this open seat as it runs along the similar boundaries of Democrat Brian Foley and now Jack Eddington (husband of assemblywomen Pat Eddington) County Legislative district that has been in Democratic control for 36 years dating back to Brian's dad, John Foley who won it in 1973. |
