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Thanks to the county’s term limit law, Bellone was limited to 12 years as Suffolk’s highest office holder, and will turn over the keys to Brookhaven Supervisor Edward Romaine, who scored a decisive victory over Democrat challenger Dave Calone last week. Romaine’s ascension will be the first time a Republican will hold the seat in more than two decades. He will have the benefit of a legislature made up of a majority of his party, a political advantage Bellone didn’t enjoy over the last two years of his term.
One option for Bellone is retirement, but that is unlikely for the ambitious 54-year-old who started his political life at 34, shortly after graduating from the Fordham University School of Law. That leaves him the option of going into the private sector or landing a public job, perhaps with Gov. Kathy Hochul or the Biden Administration. Or, with his accumulated knowledge of government and the political process, he could go into the consulting business advising others. Another option for the county executive is joining a non-profit organization or a corporate board. As an elected official for over a quarter century, he certainly has contacts within any number of groups that could use his services, not to mention taking advantage of the goodwill that spending billions of taxpayer dollars over the years can afford him.
One obstacle that could pop up along Bellone’s future career path is his strained relationship with Rich Shaeffer, the man who succeeded him as Babylon Supervisor and chairs both the town and county Democratic committees. The lack of an endorsement from the head of Bellone’s own party could very well dissuade Democrat administrations on the state and federal levels from taking him in.
Whichever way he goes, Bellone will have some walking around money, $423,359 to be exact, which he has left in his campaign account. While he can’t go out and spend it on himself, he could certainly distribute it to those who would have something to say about his future employment. Bellone doled out some of his campaign largesse during the 2023 election season, giving $10,000 to Calone from his Bellone for Suffolk account and some smaller contributions to county legislative candidates on his side of the aisle. He only took in $5,550 over the last few months, according to his last campaign filing with the state Board of Elections, and spent about $22,000.
Bellone congratulated Romaine for his 57%-43% win over the candidate he endorsed to succeed him, saying, “Our communities have placed their trust and confidence in him to lead our county forward. I am committed to ensuring a seamless transition and handover of responsibilities to the new administration beginning on January 1.”
Over the last 12 years, Bellone noted, “We have confronted numerous crises while working to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing this region, including water quality, public safety, economic development, housing, and improving county finances. While we have made significant progress, much work remains. I pledge to do everything I can to assist the new county executive-elect and his administration as they prepare to lead on these and other critical issues.”