Republicans Say Four-Year Terms Needed to Protect Voter-Approved Limits and Local Control
Making the next move in an electoral chess match against Albany Democrats, Suffolk Republicans advanced a bill this week to extend county legislative terms from two to four years—an aggressive counter to a controversial state law that forces all elections, from local to federal, onto the same November ballot in even-numbered years.
Dubbed the Term Limit Preservation Act of 2025, the legislation passed unanimously in the Republican-led county legislature following a public hearing. The measure now heads to a countywide referendum in November, when voters will decide whether the change becomes law.
Supporters argue the bill is necessary to uphold the county’s voter-approved term limit structure, first enacted in 1993 and reaffirmed in a 2022 charter amendment passed with nearly 86% of the vote.
“This legislation aligns Suffolk’s term limits law with the new election schedule imposed by the state, preserving the spirit and intent of citizen-led government,” explained Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia. “It ensures that local elected officials continue to serve within the limits the people approved, regardless of interference from Albany Democrats.”
Garcia sharply criticized the state’s Even Year Election Law, passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2023, as “a blatant voter suppression tactic dressed up as reform.” He warned it would disrupt county leadership by forcing legislators to campaign in back-to-back years, potentially triggering costly special elections, resignations, and a weakened focus on governance.
Under the current term structure, Suffolk legislators serve two-year terms, capped at 12 years total. Without the proposed extension, the winners of this fall’s election would be required to run again next year to comply with the state law.
“This is about preserving what the voters have already approved,” said Legislator Jim Mazzarella, who added that the new state schedule threatens midterm resignations, causing costly special elections and political instability.
Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey said the legislature would not have revisited term lengths if not for the state’s mandate. “This is not a partisan move—it’s a necessary fix to an Albany-imposed problem,” he said.
The current 12-year cap will remain intact under the new structure, but the bill includes a grandfather clause allowing sitting legislators to finish their final term even if it puts them slightly over the limit.
Though driven by the GOP majority, the bill received backing from several Democrats, including Minority Leader Jason Richberg, who called it “a common-sense measure.” He noted that similar proposals had been floated in the past—including a 2020 effort by Legislator Samuel Gonzalez—but failed to gain traction.
County Executive Edward Romaine said he would sign the bill, adding that the state law shortchanges voters and creates an environment where legislators will have to campaign two years in a row instead of focusing on governing.
The legislature moved quickly to approve the measure to meet legal deadlines. According to legislative counsel William Duffy, the finalized bill must be submitted at least 90 days before Election Day and receive preclearance from the state attorney general under a 2022 law strengthening New York’s voting rights protections.
The state law shifting elections to even-numbered years is still under legal challenge. Though a lower court initially struck it down, a mid-level appellate court reinstated it in May. The case is now headed to the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, with a hearing scheduled for September.
Opponents of the law argue it’s part of a broader effort by Albany Democrats to centralize electoral control, reduce local influence, and tilt the playing field by diverting voter attention away from local issues. Critics have pointed to related moves, including attempts to redraw political boundaries in favor of Democratic candidates and the appointment of judges from heavily Democratic areas to oversee redistricting and election-related lawsuits.
The measure now heads to the November ballot. If voters approve, Suffolk legislators elected this fall would begin serving four-year terms in January 2026, maintaining the 12-year service cap.
As the legal battle over election law shifts to the state’s highest court, Suffolk County may soon become a key test case in a larger national fight over how—and when—Americans vote.