Having received the unanimous support of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez will lead the Democrat's 2023 ticket as its pick for town supervisor.
From among 26 "excellent and qualified community member candidates," the committee said in an announcement on Sunday, it also selected David Lys, an incumbent councilman, and Thomas Flight, who is currently serving on the Montauk School Board, to run for two seats on the town board.
Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and Councilwoman Sylvia Overby announced in January that they are not seeking re-election. The committee held its nominating convention Saturday at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Amagansett.
Among those screening for the town board seats, the committee said four others emerged as strong finalists: Kathy Cunningham, Perry Gershon, Jerry Larsen, and Barbara Layton. Mr. Larsen is currently in his first term as mayor of East Hampton Village.
For the town trustees, the East Hampton Democrats endorsed several incumbents: Francis Bock, Bill Taylor, John Aldred, Ben Dollinger, Tim Garneau, and David Cataletto, who are registered Democrats; Jim Grimes, a registered Republican who has had cross-party support multiple times, and two newcomers, Patrice Dalton and Celia Josephson. Although these nine candidates are running for the trustee seats, the 2023 election marks the first time that staggered terms will be implemented based upon where the votes fall. Four-year terms will be assigned to the five candidates who get the most votes, while the next four successful candidates will serve two-year terms. In 2025, the second four seats will be on the ballot as four-year terms.
David Filer will run for town justice after a competitive screening process that saw a total of five "accomplished candidates" state their cases. Steve Lynch has been endorsed once again for highway superintendent, and Jeanne Nielsen and Jill Massa for the town assessor seats.
"I want to thank our members for their dedicated commitment to this important aspect of our job," Anna Skrenta, chairwoman of the East Hampton Democratic Committee, said in a statement. "This was truly an exhaustive process and the committee worked so well together to make it a success."
In accepting the nomination, Ms. Burke-Gonzalez, told the committee that she "will proudly head the Democratic ticket that you have assembled today, ticket of caring, accomplished, and thoughtful leaders, a ticket that will govern with courage, empathy, and a great deal of common sense." She was the only one screening for the supervisor's seat.
She later continued, "Now you can expect from all of us a robust and rigorous campaign. As we will campaign just like we govern -- tirelessly, compassionately, and truthfully. Because David, Tom and I will be laser-focused on honoring and strengthening our families, our neighborhoods, our diverse cultures and customs, and our natural environment."
In the announcement, Ms. Skrenta outlined how the process worked. For each of the town's 19 election districts -- including nearly 10,000 registered Democrats from Wainscott to Montauk -- two representatives serve on the committee, and as a group, they vote to select candidates from among those who screened.
The committee's choices are not necessarily guaranteed to appear on the November ballot, as it is still possible that other candidates could file petitions for a primary election. However, having the support of an established party means boots-on-the-ground support in petitioning and campaigning.
The East Hampton Town Republican Committee has not yet announced its slate.
