Bizarre Mayoral Election in Bay Shore

In a surprising turn of events, the Long Island village of Bayville struggled to find candidates for mayor, resulting in the election of former mayor Paul Rupp, who wasn’t even on the ballot.

Rupp, aged 66, managed to secure 519 votes on June 16 through a write-in campaign—though he’s not actually seeking the role. Interestingly, he had endorsed another candidate just days prior to the election.

Having served as Bayville’s mayor from 2014 to 2018 and as a village trustee for eight years before that, Rupp noted on Facebook that he had received inquiries from various residents about whether he would take on the mayoral position.

He expressed a willingness to serve if asked, especially as no one had filed to run for the position. Following his endorsement of former Village Trustee Joe Russo, Rupp shared that he felt “honored to serve our village again.”

Interestingly, the current mayor, Steve Minicozzi, finished second with 382 votes, despite not running for re-election and having stated he didn’t want the position.

Out of a population of around 7,000, roughly 1,400 voters participated in this election, with 46 different names written in by residents.

Support for Rupp grew after he announced his openness to the idea of accepting the role. In his social media post, he highlighted affordability, transparency, and infrastructure as his primary objectives once in office.

Rupp stated, “My purpose is to keep the village safe, secure, and financially sound.” He has previously identified as a fiscal conservative and left office in 2018 with a budget surplus.

Additionally, voters re-elected incumbents Anne Walsh and Amy DiBartolomeo to continue serving as trustees.