Suffolk GOP Picks November Slate

Congressmen Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino will lead Suffolk’s Republican ticket in November in an election that will also see state senate and assembly seats up for grabs. Voters will also cast ballots for president and the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand.

Suffolk’s representatives were part of a New York Red Wave that helped the Republicans take over the House in 2022. With the Democrats taking back the seat formerly held by the scandalous George Santos in a special election earlier this month, the balance of power in Congress could very well rest on the Suffolk incumbents.

Aside from the local state and federal races, anticipation is building for the rematch between President Joe Biden and the presumptive GOP candidate, former President Donald Trump. A huge unknown is whether Biden will stick with Kamala Harris for vice president and who Trump will select. The former president has won primary contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina and is heading into the March 5 Super Tuesday contest with only Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and his U.N. ambassador, as his only prominent opponent left.

Congressman Andrew Garbarino File Photo

The Suffolk GOP convention in Smithtown last week saw only a handful of non-incumbents winning the Republican endorsement, including Shelter Island attorney Steven Kiely, who will vie for the 1st District seat vacated by Fred Thiele, and small business owner and registered nurse Dr. Teresa Bryant to challenge Senator Monica Martinez in the 5th District. The Republicans also selected Dix Hills computer scientist Aamir Sultan to butt up against Assemblyman Steve Stern in the 10th District and retired New York City Police Lieutenant Commander Joseph Cardinale to challenge 11th District Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre.

Another Republican priority is holding onto the 4th District Assembly seat wrested away from Democrat stalwart Steve Englebright by Ed Flood. The Port Jefferson attorney shocked the political world by taking out an incumbent who held the Brookhaven North Shore seat for 30 years.

At the state GOP convention, the party tapped retired New York City Police detective Mike Sapraicone of Seaford to challenge Senator Gillibrand, who’s held the seat since 2009.

Incumbents also endorsed for reelection by the Suffolk Republicans were:

Senator Anthony Palumbo, 1st District

Senator Mario Materra, 2nd District

Senator Dean Murray, 3rd District

Senator Alexis Weik, 8th District

Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, 2nd District

Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano, 3rd District

Assemblyman Doug Smith, 5th District

Assemblyman Jarrett Gandolfo, 7th District

Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick, 8th District

Assemblyman Mike Durso, 9th District

Assemblyman Keith Brown, 12th District

Suffolk’s Democrats did not hold a convention this year. Check next week’s South Shore Press for a rundown of their candidates.