New GOP leader ends bumpy week on a high note

A tumultuous week for Riverhead’s new Republican leader John Galla ended on a high note.

Friday night, the Riverhead Republican committee hosted a gathering of East End Republican leaders at Polish Hall to meet and greet three people interested in the GOP nomination for Suffolk County Executive.

Party leaders from four of the five East End towns — Shelter Island couldn’t make it — met with County Treasurer Angie Carpenter, of West Islip, State Senator John Flanagan of East Northport and Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick of St. James during an informal county executive candidates screening night, Galla told RiverheadLOCAL.

North Fork favorite son Joseph Sawicki, the Suffolk County Comptroller and former North Fork assemblyman, who was said to be considering a run for the executive spot, did not attend the screening, Galla said. The Riverhead town leader said Sawicki has taken his name out of consideration.

“He really likes where he’s at, and wants to finish out his term,” Galla said of the comptroller.

Another high-profile Republican whose name has been tossed about as a possible county executive candidate is 2010 congressional candidate Randy Altschuler of St. James, who came within a few hundred votes of unseating Democrat Tim Bishop. Galla said he’d heard Altschuler was going to attend the screening Friday night, but he didn’t show.

Galla, new to the town leader position, though he’s been involved in local politics for more than three decades, said this was the first time in memory the East End town Republican leadership got together to screen county candidates.

“It was very a productive meeting,” Galla said. Each of the three candidates addressed the party leaders and then took questions, he said. “It was good.”

But the party faithful from across the East End were anxious to hear about the controversy swirling in the Riverhead Republican ranks last week, Galla said.

Incumbent Republican Councilman James Wooten surprised the party leader a week ago with the bombshell that he was planning to challenge Republican incumbent Supervisor Sean Walter for the GOP nomination.

In an April 8 interview with RiverheadLOCAL, Wooten announced his intention to run for supervisor, criticizing the first-term supervisor’s leadership style, which Wooten said had caused “dysfunction” on the Town Board. (See prior story here.)

On Thursday evening, the Riverhead Town Republican Committee met at the American Legion Hall on Hubbard Avenue to screen town council and supervisor candidates.

Wooten appeared before the town committee Thursday evening to make his case as a candidate at the top of their ticket, but also asked to be nominated for re-election as councilman should they decide to give the nod to Walter.

“It went well,” Wooten said in an interview. “It was very well received. I’ve had some positive feedback from some of the committee people already,” Wooten said. “The process has begun. Now we have another 25 days till the convention,” he said. The Riverhead GOP has its nominating convention scheduled for May 11.

Walter also screened with the committee in the hopes of getting its support for his re-election bid.

A former Riverhead Town Conservative Committee chairman who switched parties to run for supervisor as a Republican in 2009, Walter said last week he’d run a primary for the Republican nomination if necessary. He also said he felt he had “an inside track” on the Conservative nomination, and would be a supervisor candidate on the ballot in November even if he didn’t get the Republican line.

“It was not a cakewalk. They definitely kept me on my toes. They asked some tough questions,” the supervisor said after the screening. “It’s hard for anybody to take criticism,” he said. “I heard what they had to say.”

Walter said his takeaway from the meeting was to stay positive and run on his record.

“I think we’ve accomplished a lot and we’re taking Riverhead in the right direction,” Walter said
in an interview Friday.

“It was all very cordial,” Galla said. “This is the first time we’ve had the entire committee do the screening. I’m pleased with how it worked out.”

Warren McKnight of Riverhead also screened for the supervisor’s post.

Appearing before the committee as candidates for the two council seats up for election this year were incumbent George Gabrielsen of Jamesport, who is seeking re-election, Mary Hartill of Riverhead, Brian Mills of Wading River and Bob Weir of Baiting Hollow.

Riverhead Democrats, meanwhile, have not begun screening candidates yet, according to party chairman Vinny Villella. Villella said last week the process, being conducted by a screening committee chaired by Marge Acevedo of Wading River, would begin the week after Easter. Villella said no date has been set for the Democrats’ nominating convention, which is traditionally held after the Republican convention.

Ron Hariri, a vocal critic of both former supervisor Phil Cardinale and the current incumbent, has said he will seek the Democrats’ nomination for supervisor. Cardinale has declined to confirm whether or not he’s thinking about another run for his old job. Wooten has also sent his resume to the Democrats, and left open the possibilty of running for supervisor on the Democratic line if he’s turned back by the GOP.

Villella said the Democrats would screen all interested persons, but would give preference in their nominations to registered Democrats.

Like Galla, Villella is new in his post, having taken the committee reins from veteran leader Butch Langhorn last year.

Both leaders agree they expect more surprises as the local election season heats up.

“If I’ve learned one thing over many years in this business, you never know what to expect in local politics,” Galla said in an interview this weekend.

“You just never know,” Villella said. “That’s what makes it interesting.”