Passed over by the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee for a second run town board run, Councilman Jeff Bragman announced this week that he will seek to challenge Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc in a primary.
Volunteers are gathering signatures for Mr. Bragman as well as for Rick Drew, a three-term town trustee who also lost endorsement from the Democratic Committee at its Feb. 17 convention, and for John Whelan for town councilman. Mr. Whelan, the chairman of the town's zoning board of appeals, sought the committee's endorsement but finished well behind Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who is seeking a third term, and Cate Rogers, the Democratic committee's chairwoman. Ms. Rogers ran for town trustee in 2013.
Mr. Bragman was elected in 2017 and has repeatedly clashed with the supervisor, who is running for a third term. The two have quarreled on a range of issues, including the proposed South Fork Wind farm. "I think primaries are probably good for the Democratic Party and good for democracy," he told The Star on Monday. "They tend to expose issues to public view and debate. That's a good thing." As a candidate in 2017, Mr. Bragman and Ms. Burke-Gonzalez prevailed in a primary challenge by Zachary Cohen.
"I'm not a senseless troublemaker," Mr. Bragman said. "I'm doing it because I actually thought you could be in politics and speak out. I think there's some truth to this: If you tell the truth, listen to people, and vote your best judgment, even if you vote against people, they'll understand."
Mr. Drew, who won votes from just three of 34 committee members at the nominating convention, was cast aside in favor of David Cataletto in a chaotic vote via video conference, in which most committee members announced their vote for "everyone but Rick Drew." Several members of the committee privately called the proceedings an embarrassment and expressed regret for how it had unfolded.
"There was not an objective screening undertaken by the East Hampton Democratic Committee," Mr. Drew said in an email on Tuesday. "There was no consideration or criteria for reviewing attendance, participation, experience, or accomplishment. Members of the East Hampton community have reached out to the leadership of the East Hampton Democratic Committee with questions regarding the screening process only to be stonewalled."
"Given this rather flawed and unprofessional screening process, shouldn't the greater Democratic constituency of East Hampton be given an opportunity to participate in selecting this year's slate of democratic candidates?"
"I'm a team player," Mr. Whelan said, "and have been for a long time with the party. Considering the situation, whereby there were new members to the committee that do not know me and may not know my background and what qualifications I can bring to the board, I would not want to leave the decision of my political future with the town board solely to committee members. I would rather see the registered Democrats of our town make their own decisions." The primary process is an important part of democracy, he said.
Mr. Whelan, who ran unsuccessfully for town board in 2009, tried again for the committee's nomination in 2017 but was passed over in favor of Mr. Bragman. He said that he is confident that he can prevail in a primary. "I feel that Kathee and Cate are fine women, and I have respect for both of them. It's just that I feel that with my lifelong association with this town, I can bring a lot to the board. Come the election, hopefully a lot of my lifelong and new friends that know the qualifications I have will vote for me."
Mr. Bragman and Mr. Drew have both been skeptical of the proposed South Fork Wind farm. In January, Mr. Bragman cast the lone no vote on an easement agreement with its developers and abstained from voting on a resolution authorizing a host community agreement, insisting that the town was moving too quickly and would maintain leverage and therefore its ability to influence the project by waiting until state and federal reviews are complete. Mr. Drew ultimately voted with his colleagues to grant a lease to the wind farm's developers, but after a prolonged effort to obtain significant commitments from the developers including the components, and the overall value, of the host community agreement.
Mr. Drew also suggested last month that his acceptance of endorsements from other political parties had angered Democrats, who had discouraged him from doing so.
To successfully force a primary, Mr. Bragman, Mr. Whelan, and Mr. Drew need the signatures of approximately 150 enrolled Democratic voters who are registered to vote in the town. Petitions are to be filed with the Suffolk County Board of Elections between March 22 and 25. A primary election would happen on June 22.
Ms. Rogers, who is both a candidate and the committee's chairwoman, said that "Primarying is part of the democratic process, so we understand it and we welcome primaries." Primary elections, she said, "are in a way a measure of a party's success," demonstrating "differences of opinion within that very large tent."
Manny Vilar, chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee, announced several of the committee's candidates for town offices yesterday. They are Kenneth I. Walles for supervisor, and George B. Aman and Joseph B. Karpinski for town board. The committee announced three candidates for trustee: Willy Wolter, Lona Rubenstein, and James Grimes, the latter an incumbent. Mr. Wolter ran unsuccessfully for trustee in 2017.
The committee also endorsed incumbents who have also received the Democratic Committee's nomination. They are Carole Brennan, town clerk; Eugene DePasquale, assessor; Steven Tekulsky, town justice, and Stephen Lynch, highway superintendent.