Election: Dems’ Slate Lags Behind G.O.P.’s

Brian Byrnes, a second-term Democratic member of the East Hampton Town Trustees, will not seek re-election in November, he told The Star this week, citing other commitments and hinting at interest in town board-appointed advisory boards. “I like the planning board, the Z.B.A.,” he said. “If that became available in a year or two, I would certainly take a look at that.”

“I’ve really enjoyed being a trustee,” Mr. Byrnes said on Tuesday. “It’s been a good experience, and I’d like to make that opportunity available to somebody else. . . . It’s time to move on, and I wanted to go out on a high note in case I wanted to do something else in town government.”

Other commitments, including to his family and to the Amagansett Fire Department, have contributed to his decision, he said. Mr. Byrnes, a manager of the Windmill Village and St. Michael’s housing complexes, said his ongoing efforts to recruit new volunteers for the fire department were not only important but time consuming as well.

With the Nov. 7 election in view, the two major political parties are preparing their slates of candidates for town board, trustee, and other positions. Tim Bock, Mr. Byrnes’s Republican colleague on the trustee board, also intends to step down after this year. Pat Mansir, a first-term Democrat, told The Star yesterday that she is undecided about seeking re-election.

All nine trustee seats will be up for grabs. Jim Grimes, a Republican, and the Democrats Bill Taylor, Rick Drew, Tyler Armstrong, and Francis Bock, the trustees’ clerk, have confirmed that they will run again. Diane McNally, a trustee and the body’s former clerk, had not returned a call as of noon yesterday.

Reg Cornelia, chairman of the East Hampton Republican Committee, said yesterday that the party had identified three or four potential town trustee candidates. “There are some very good ones out there, some who have served before, some who haven’t,” he said. “We might end up with four women trustee candidates, one of whom is a boat captain, another who works on a commercial fishing boat. I don’t know if that will be the final lineup, but that would be unique.”

While the local Republicans cannot hold an official nominating convention until the Suffolk County Republican Committee holds its own, Mr. Cornelia said, the party’s slate of candidates for town board is set. Manny Vilar will be the G.O.P. candidate for supervisor; Jerry Larsen and Paul Giardina will run for town board. Mr. Vilar is a sergeant with the State Parks Police. Mr. Larsen recently retired as chief of the East Hampton Village Police Department. Mr. Giardina, who recently retired, has served in management positions in government since 1975, both at the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

“I think we have a very, very good slate this year,” Mr. Cornelia said. “Everyone has many years of managerial or executive experience.”

Supervisor Larry Cantwell, a Democrat, will not seek re-election. East Hampton Democrats have not yet announced their candidates for town board.