Village election results: Incumbent mayors win in Sea Cliff, Freeport, Hempstead
The scene Tuesday at one polling place, Park Avenue Elementary School in Amityville. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Incumbent mayors will stay on the job in Hempstead and Freeport, Sea Cliff's mayor has withstood a challenge from a write-in candidate, and in Amityville, voters have chosen a new leader to succeed their term-limited mayor.
Those were among the key developments in Islandwide village elections Tuesday.
Contested trustee races also were held in Amityville, Greenport, Hempstead, Old Field and Valley Stream.
Most Long Island villages did not have contested elections.
In Sea Cliff, Mayor Elena Villafane easily fended off a challenge from write-in candidate Robert Ehrlich, who had claimed last week to be the village's rightful mayor, citing an obscure state law.
Villafane received 1,064 votes to win a new two-year term. Ehrlich, founder of the Pirate's Booty snack food brand, received 62 votes. The mayor is paid $12,000 annually.
"Now that the election is over, let me be clear: I will not tolerate any further attempts to undermine the governance of this village," Villafane said in a statement Wednesday. She said the election was about "a vision of responsible leadership, thoughtful progress, and a community that works together to achieve great things."
Trustee Michael O'Neill won a three-way race to succeed term-limited Mayor Dennis Siry.
O'Neill, 64, on the Amity For All line, won with 983 votes. Eric Onderdonk, 55, running on the People's Party line, was second with 773 votes. Deputy Mayor Kevin Smith, 66, on the Smith Party line, received 222 votes.
O’Neill said his first order of business will be the village’s 2025-26 budget.
“I want to make sure that we are true to the taxpayers and that we are watching every penny and only asking for any additional money when it’s absolutely needed,” he said.
The mayor serves a four-year term and is paid $14,000 annually.
Four candidates sought two open trustee seats, each carrying a four-year term.
Incumbent trustee Owen Brooks of the Amityville New Decade Party held on to his seat with 1,108 votes. The post that was held by trustee Kevin Smith, who was term-limited, was won by Robert Russo of the Coastal Vision Party with 989 votes.
Brooks and Russo defeated Peter I. Collorafi of the Amityville Always Party and Santiago Gallinat of the People’s Party.
O’Neill, as mayor, will appoint someone to his trustee seat, which has two years remaining on the term. However, a special election for the final year of that seat will be held next year, Village Clerk-Treasurer Catherine Murdock said.
Trustees are paid $7,000 annually.
Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. defeated a challenger, village trustee Kevin D. Boone, to win a new four-year term. Hobbs, who is completing his first term, defeated Boone, 1,718 to 615.
Hobbs, 62, who ran on the Hempstead Now line, pointed to downtown revitalization projects and upgrades of a village water plant and a swimming pool.
Hobbs said in an interview Wednesday he plans to continue the transformation of Hempstead into a walkable community.
“We've already started the development of our downtown area, but there's still more that we need to do in our downtown revitalization,” he said. “We want to do more walkable space.”
Boone, 56, a first-term trustee, ran on the People Over Party United line.
The mayor is paid $157,594 annually.
In the trustee race, challengers Tanya Carter and William Whitaker won two open seats, defeating incumbent Clariona Griffith and challenger Kevin Ramirez.
Carter received 1,687 votes, followed by Whitaker with 1,628 votes, Griffith with 589 votes and Ramirez with 543.
Trustees serve four-year terms and are paid $28,560.
Mayor Robert T. Kennedy was reelected, defeating challenger Tarmaria Pedlar to win a new four-year term, in unofficial results.
Kennedy, 70, who ran on the Unity Home Rule Party line and has served three terms as mayor, received 1,595 votes to Pedlar's 216.
Pedlar, 53, a former village employee who runs a business that provides support services for vulnerable populations, ran as an independent.
The mayor is paid $188,492 annually.
In the village justice race, incumbent Vincent R. Cacciatore defeated challenger Marc E. Strauss, 1,529 to 258. Cacciatore, 75, has served in that role since 1994.
Justices are paid $91,349 annually.
Incumbent trustees Mary Bess Phillips of the Greenport Pride Party and Julia Robins of the Greenport United Party were reelected to four-year terms. Phillips received 150 votes; Robins received 135.
They defeated challengers Roric Tobin of the Roric for Greenport Party (131 votes), Scott Hollid of the Families First Party (111 votes) and Margaret Rose de Cruz of the All Hands Community Party (53 votes).
Trustees are paid $11,600 annually, according to village budget documents.
Incumbents Morgan Morrison of the Sound Government Party and Rebecca Van Der Bogart of the Good Neighbor Party defeated challenger Kathryn Richey of the Cove Party for two open trustee seats, each carrying a two-year term. Trustees are not paid.
Van Der Bogart received 122 votes, Morrison received 121 and Richey received 85.
Incumbent Sharon M. Daly of the United Community Party defeated challenger Anthony Bonelli of the Achieve Party, 1,022 to 125, for an open trustee seat with a three-year term. Trustees are paid $23,800 annually.
With Denise Bonilla, Joseph Ostapiuk, Ted Phillips and Tara Smith
Incumbent mayors will stay on the job in Hempstead and Freeport, Sea Cliff's mayor has withstood a challenge from a write-in candidate, and in Amityville, voters have chosen a new leader to succeed their term-limited mayor.
Those were among the key developments in Islandwide village elections Tuesday.
Contested trustee races also were held in Amityville, Greenport, Hempstead, Old Field and Valley Stream.
Most Long Island villages did not have contested elections.
In Sea Cliff, Mayor Elena Villafane easily fended off a challenge from write-in candidate Robert Ehrlich, who had claimed last week to be the village's rightful mayor, citing an obscure state law.
Villafane received 1,064 votes to win a new two-year term. Ehrlich, founder of the Pirate's Booty snack food brand, received 62 votes. The mayor is paid $12,000 annually.
Sea Cliff Mayor Elena Villafane in a 2023 photo. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
"Now that the election is over, let me be clear: I will not tolerate any further attempts to undermine the governance of this village," Villafane said in a statement Wednesday. She said the election was about "a vision of responsible leadership, thoughtful progress, and a community that works together to achieve great things."
Amityville
Trustee Michael O'Neill won a three-way race to succeed term-limited Mayor Dennis Siry.
O'Neill, 64, on the Amity For All line, won with 983 votes. Eric Onderdonk, 55, running on the People's Party line, was second with 773 votes. Deputy Mayor Kevin Smith, 66, on the Smith Party line, received 222 votes.
O’Neill said his first order of business will be the village’s 2025-26 budget.
“I want to make sure that we are true to the taxpayers and that we are watching every penny and only asking for any additional money when it’s absolutely needed,” he said.
The mayor serves a four-year term and is paid $14,000 annually.
Four candidates sought two open trustee seats, each carrying a four-year term.
Incumbent trustee Owen Brooks of the Amityville New Decade Party held on to his seat with 1,108 votes. The post that was held by trustee Kevin Smith, who was term-limited, was won by Robert Russo of the Coastal Vision Party with 989 votes.
Brooks and Russo defeated Peter I. Collorafi of the Amityville Always Party and Santiago Gallinat of the People’s Party.
O’Neill, as mayor, will appoint someone to his trustee seat, which has two years remaining on the term. However, a special election for the final year of that seat will be held next year, Village Clerk-Treasurer Catherine Murdock said.
Trustees are paid $7,000 annually.
Hempstead
Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. defeated a challenger, village trustee Kevin D. Boone, to win a new four-year term. Hobbs, who is completing his first term, defeated Boone, 1,718 to 615.
Hobbs, 62, who ran on the Hempstead Now line, pointed to downtown revitalization projects and upgrades of a village water plant and a swimming pool.
Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. was reelected. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Hobbs said in an interview Wednesday he plans to continue the transformation of Hempstead into a walkable community.
“We've already started the development of our downtown area, but there's still more that we need to do in our downtown revitalization,” he said. “We want to do more walkable space.”
Boone, 56, a first-term trustee, ran on the People Over Party United line.
The mayor is paid $157,594 annually.
In the trustee race, challengers Tanya Carter and William Whitaker won two open seats, defeating incumbent Clariona Griffith and challenger Kevin Ramirez.
Carter received 1,687 votes, followed by Whitaker with 1,628 votes, Griffith with 589 votes and Ramirez with 543.
Trustees serve four-year terms and are paid $28,560.
Freeport
Mayor Robert T. Kennedy was reelected, defeating challenger Tarmaria Pedlar to win a new four-year term, in unofficial results.
Freeport Mayor Robert T. Kennedy. Credit: Barry Sloan
Kennedy, 70, who ran on the Unity Home Rule Party line and has served three terms as mayor, received 1,595 votes to Pedlar's 216.
Pedlar, 53, a former village employee who runs a business that provides support services for vulnerable populations, ran as an independent.
The mayor is paid $188,492 annually.
In the village justice race, incumbent Vincent R. Cacciatore defeated challenger Marc E. Strauss, 1,529 to 258. Cacciatore, 75, has served in that role since 1994.
Justices are paid $91,349 annually.
Greenport
Incumbent trustees Mary Bess Phillips of the Greenport Pride Party and Julia Robins of the Greenport United Party were reelected to four-year terms. Phillips received 150 votes; Robins received 135.
They defeated challengers Roric Tobin of the Roric for Greenport Party (131 votes), Scott Hollid of the Families First Party (111 votes) and Margaret Rose de Cruz of the All Hands Community Party (53 votes).
Trustees are paid $11,600 annually, according to village budget documents.
Old Field
Incumbents Morgan Morrison of the Sound Government Party and Rebecca Van Der Bogart of the Good Neighbor Party defeated challenger Kathryn Richey of the Cove Party for two open trustee seats, each carrying a two-year term. Trustees are not paid.
Van Der Bogart received 122 votes, Morrison received 121 and Richey received 85.
Valley Stream
Incumbent Sharon M. Daly of the United Community Party defeated challenger Anthony Bonelli of the Achieve Party, 1,022 to 125, for an open trustee seat with a three-year term. Trustees are paid $23,800 annually.
With Denise Bonilla, Joseph Ostapiuk, Ted Phillips and Tara Smith
Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.
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