Losquadro’s assembly seat may remain vacant till November election, party leader says

With the loss of Dan Losquadro to the Town of Brookhaven, the Second Assembly District is left without representation in Albany.

That void may continue until the November general election, Riverhead Democratic Committee chairwoman Marjorie Acevedo said today.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet not decided whether or not to call a special election sooner than that, Acevedo said in a phone interview this morning.

“There have just been so many special elections,” Acevedo said.

Former county legislator Ed Romaine was elected Brookhaven Town Supervisor in a special election on Election Day Nov. 6. The vacancy created by his resignation from the legislature was filled in a special election Jan. 15, when Democratic Southold Councilman Al Krupski won a landslide victory over Republican Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter. In a March 5 special election, Losquadro won election to the highway post — vacant after former highway superintendent John Rouse was elected to a judgeship in November. Losquadro was sworn in to office yesterday.

The election would be to fill the unexpired term of the former assemblyman, who handily defeated Mattituck parks commisioner Nicholas Deegan in November.  The current term ends on Dec. 31, 2014. 

Suffolk County Democratic Committee chairman Rich Schaffer is not scheduling candidate screening interviews until he has the governor’s decision, Acevedo said. She said Jennifer Maertz, who lost a party primary for the state senate nomination in September to Southampton Councilwoman Bridget Fleming, has indicated she is interested in running for the assembly seat. Acevedo said she’s not sure who else may ask to screen.

Acevedo said former assemblyman Marc Alessi has been mentioned as a possible candidate.

“Absolutely not,” Alessi told RiverheadLOCAL today.

Alessi, a lawyer who is also affiliated with a lobbying firm and a technology startup consulting firm, and is the father of three young children, said he already has too much on his plate to even consider running for office again.

In fact, Alessi said, he’s stepping down “in the next week or so” from his post as Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee chairman.

“I’m just wrapping up some loose ends,” Alessi said. “I basically have four jobs and something had to give,” he said.

Alessi admitted to some “internal conflict” about making another run at the assembly seat he lost to Losquadro in a tight race in 2010.

“It’s like college,” he said. “You miss it, but you can’t go back.”

County Republican chairman John Jay LaValle said the Democrats might want to delay the election “because they’re short on talent.” 

“I think it would be unfortunate to leave the seat vacant,” LaValle said. “That’s an affront to the community, which is losing a voice. We should fill the seat and put the next assemblyman in there as soon as possible.”

LaValle said he is set to begin screening interested candidates next week.  “We have a nice group of people” who’ve expressed interest he said. Among them: Catherine Stark of Riverhead, who works as an aide to County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, Romaine aide Bill Faulk, Southold Councilman Chris Talbot and Southold Trustee Bob Ghosio. Also interested are deputy county clerk Steve Keily and Tony Palumbo, both attorneys.

LaValle said he has reached out to Jodi Giglio “to gauge her interest” but the Riverhead councilwoman said she is not interested in making the run.

RiverheadLOCAL file photos by Denise Civiletti