There were no surprises, but one new face, on Feb. 5, as the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee filed into St. Michael's Church in Amagansett to nominate their candidates for the November races.
At the top of the ticket, Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez got the uncontested nod, along with both Councilwoman Cate Rogers, first elected in 2021, and Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte, fresh off his first year on the job.
"The work we do on the local level matters," said Ms. Burke-Gonzalez, who was nominated by Jim Lubetkin. She tied changes made during her first year on the job to real-life situations. "It matters to the little boy who lives and breathes baseball and who can now play year round at Stephen Hand's Path. It matters to the high school sophomore in East Hampton, who is dealing with crippling anxiety and can go and meet with her social worker in between classes. It matters to the couple who are closing on a house and can take a $30,000 loan from the community housing fund."
"The test of every government is not that it's popular with the powerful, but how honestly and fairly it deals with those who must depend on it," said the town supervisor, first elected to the town board in 2013 and halfway through her first two-year term as supervisor. "Even though we're living through dark times, I'm optimistic about our town and our community."
Two races received competing nominations. Town Justice Stephen Tekulsky, who has served four terms, was nominated by Christopher Kelley. Jerry Mulligan nominated Carl Irace, the current Sag Harbor Village justice, from the floor. Mr. Irace lost the floor vote nearly three to one.
The post of town clerk was also contested. Michael Hansen, a planning board member since 2021, was nominated by Jerry Mulligan and, in a floor vote, handily defeated Jeff Miller, who was nominated by Tim Garneau. It's the first time in decades that a new candidate will be up for the position. Carole Brennan, who has been town clerk since 2014 (and worked in town government for 36 years), recently announced her retirement.
Like the town board seats, the town trustee nominations were uncontested. Mr. Garneau, John Aldred, David Cataletto, and Celia Josephson will be running on the Democratic ticket in November. Until 2023, all nine trustee seats were up for election every two years, but a change approved by the governor in 2021 allowed the terms to be longer and staggered. In 2023, the top five vote-getters won four-year terms, with the other four getting two-year terms. In this year's election, the four winning candidates will all get four-year terms.
Also at the Feb. 5 convention, the assessor Eugene DePasquale, an assessor, was nominated to keep his post. Stephen Lynch was nominated by Loring Bolger to run again for highway superintendent, a position he has held since 2012.
Anna Skrenta, as chairwoman of the town's Democratic Committee, officiated the proceedings, speaking in the 1960s-era church with an exposed brick wall behind her and wood rafters above. Paper ballots, counted by hand, harkened to a bygone era. She explained how the committee worked.
The town comprises 19 election districts, with two Democratic Committee members for each. As Ms. Skrenta announced each office, nominations and seconds were called from the members. Where there was no contested nomination, unanimous votes were entered. In the two contested nominations, committee members votes equaled 50 percent of the Democratic votes cast in their election district for the Democratic candidate for governor in the last gubernatorial election cycle, in 2022, when Gov. Kathy Hochul was elected. A handful of committee members were absent. In that case, all of their votes were transferred to the other committee member in their district.
Ms. Skrenta put the moment in context.
"Many of us are scared for our safety, and for our friends and family, and so I just wanted to acknowledge that and say that it's comforting to come together. It's comforting there's a process that we went through of screening these candidates, all of whom give so much to their community, to remind us of what can be and what democracy can be. So, trying to find a little light these days and I think this evening is something we can feel good about."
The newly nominated town board candidates also gave brief speeches.
"I just want to thank everybody for putting your trust in me to continue a job I've grown to love so much, and that is to help folks within our community," Ms. Rogers said. "It's impossible not to acknowledge how I've been doubting and worrying and being concerned about the vulnerable in our community, and for our democracy. But this has inspired me. This act of the folks here, to make sure there's a democratic process that continues, has given me the greatest hope I've had since the election."
"I try to work hard for you every day, and I'm committed to doing that in the future," Councilman Calder-Piedmonte said. "For sure, not everyone in this room agrees on all the issues and you won't always agree with me, but what I'm committed to doing is always listening to each one of you and everybody in the community and trying to do the best job that I can. It's a great honor."
