On Tuesday night, the top Republican figures in Suffolk County managed to sidestep a significant challenge.
Smithtown manager Ed Wehrheim appeared to narrowly retain his position after a contentious GOP primary against Suffolk County Councillor Rob Trotta. As per the unofficial count from the county election commission on Wednesday, Trotta had a lead of around 700 votes.
Interestingly, Wehrheim’s daughter’s boyfriend was arrested for stalking Trotta just a day before the election. However, negative reports were offset by strong backing from the Suffolk County Police Charities in favor of Wehrheim, who has held his post for seven years.
“Last night, the people in Smithtown made their voices heard clearly,” Wehrheim stated on Wednesday.
Reportedly, about 400 police union officers either canvassed door-to-door for Wehrheim or participated in phone banking efforts on his behalf.
“Ed Wehrheim and Smithtown represent the resurgence of the blue movement,” said PBA President Lou Sivello in an interview.
Sivello noted that the union has never backed Trotta, who’s sometimes labeled as “Rino” or “Republicans only.” Trotta’s stance, aligned with Zohran Mamdani, has galvanized the PBA’s initiatives, shifting the focus from police responsibilities to mental health professionals and social workers.
Trotta, a veteran of the Suffolk police and named detective of the year in 2001, suggested that the PBA’s efforts had deeper roots—speculating that they stemmed from his role in apprehending former officer James Burke, among other actions.
Meanwhile, Huntington manager Ed Smyth triumphed over challenger Brooke Lupinacci, garnering 61% of the vote, which positioned him favorably in the Conservative poll and secured him the Republican nomination for the heavily Republican district.
The Huntington primary revolved around differing visions for the area’s future development.
“I was confident about the issues I championed, and I remained steadfast throughout the campaign. I knew the residents were focused on these points,” Smyth remarked after his victory at the American Legion Hall.
On the other side, Maria Delgado won decisively against Cooper Macco in the Working Family Party primary for Huntington’s supervisory role, while Chris Haynes beat Vincent Corovita in the contest for overseeing town highways.
There were also two GOP primaries for the open seat on the Suffolk County Council, where incumbents, including Trotta, faced term limits. Lindenhurst Deputy Mayor Richard Renna won against Brightwaters prosecutor Sean Karinane with 67% of the vote, and NYPD detective Sal Formica defeated Huntington building supervisor Frank Black with 59%.
Incumbents Thomas McCarthy and Lynn Nowick from the Smithtown Republican Party each secured about 29% of the vote.
In Huntington, incumbent David Benaldo was re-elected, and allies Gregory Grizopoulas topped the tickets for seats where both Republicans are concluding their terms, including Councillor Sal Ferro.
Despite the sweltering temperatures, voter turnout remained consistent with the previous year, as reported by election commissioner Betty Manzela.
The outcomes set the stage for an intense general election this fall, with candidates currently gearing up for the vote scheduled for Tuesday, November 4th.
