Catherine Stark defeats Greg Williams in First Legislative District Republican primary

Catherine Stark of Riverhead defeated Greg Williams of Cutchogue the Republican primary election in Suffolk’s First Legislative District.

Stark won 1,350 votes to 810 for Williams, a margin of 62% to 37% in yesterday’s election, according to unofficial results published by the County Board of Elections.

Stark, 60, ran with the backing of the Suffolk County Republican Committee, which designated her as the party’s candidate at its convention in February.

She, who is also running on the Conservative Party line, will now face Democrat Catherine Kent, a former Riverhead Town council member, in the November general election.

Stark fended off the challenge by Williams at the polls after losing a court battle aimed at knocking him off the ballot and eliminating the primary election.

She is a longtime legislative aide who has worked for First District Legislator Al Krupski during his decade in the legislature and before that worked for former Legislator Jay Schneiderman in the Second Legislative District.

Williams, 50, is a former Southold Town trustee and the owner of a Mattituck bicycle shop for the past 25 years. He served one term as a trustee then mounted an unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the Southold Town Board in 2021.

There is an open seat in the First Legislative District because incumbent Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) is running for Southold Town supervisor. Southold Supervisor Scott Russell (R-Cutchogue), who has served in the post since 2006, chose not to seek re-election this year.

Krupski is a former Southold Town council member who once served as Russell’s deputy supervisor. He was elected to the legislature in a special election in January 2013, defeating then-Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter (R-Wading River.) Krupski tapped Stark as a legislative aide in April 2013.