GOP names Damon Hagan as candidate for Suffolk Surrogate judge

Damon Hagan, former Southampton Republican chairman, has been named as the GOP candidate for the patronage-rich post of Suffolk Surrogate judge. He will face Conservative District Court Judge Marian Rose Tinari, who also has Democratic and Independence Party backing.

Hagan, of East Quogue, served as town party chairman for about two years and made an unsuccessful run for Southampton Town Board. He works as an assistant town attorney in Southold.

Earlier, incumbent state Supreme Court justices Paul Baisley Jr. and David Reilly were interested in the race, but both dropped out for personal reasons.

The names of countywide GOP judicial candidates surfaced as county Republican nominating petitions went to town party organizations over the weekend so committee members can begin gathering signatures. The first day to circulate petitions was June 5.

Republicans also named incumbents Joseph Farneti, a Conservative from Babylon, and James Quinn, an Independence Party member from Eastport, for re-election to County Court. Both have the support of the Democratic, Conservative and Independence parties under a cross-endorsement agreement.

The GOP also named attorney Steve Pilewski of Smithtown as a County Court candidate.

In addition, the Republicans named Richard Hoffmann as a candidate for Family Court judge. Hoffmann, who served a 10-year term on Family Court, was denied nomination in 2016 in favor of former Islip GOP leader Frank Tantone, who later won. Hoffman also ran unsuccessfully last year for state Supreme Court justice.

Suffolk Republicans also have put Edward Wiggins, a part-time aide for GOP state Sen. Phil Boyle and a former Babylon landfill manager, on its petitions as their candidate for the Ninth Assembly District.

The Suffolk GOP made the move even though Nassau Republicans are backing Michael LiPetri, who is backed by the state Conservative Party and has the minor party’s ballot line in November. The dispute sets up the potential for a cross-county primary.

Suffolk Democrats, who had no party convention, also have begun circulating nominating petitions for their candidates.

The party has Babylon Town Clerk Geraldine Compitello as its county clerk nominee to take on three-term GOP incumbent Judith Pascale.

Compitello, 55, elected Babylon clerk last November, worked previously as an aide to town Supervisor Richard Schaffer, also county Democratic leader. Compitello also worked for Democrat Steve Bellone when he was town supervisor and in the early part of Bellone’s tenure as Suffolk County executive.

In addition to incumbents and those who launched their campaigns earlier, Democrats named fathers’ rights advocate Gregory John Fischer of Calverton in the First State Senate District.

For Assembly, the party named former Southold Democratic leader Arthur Tillman of Mattituck in the Second District; Boys Club leader Clyde Parker of Bellport in the Third District; former Sachem school board member Deborah Slinkosky in the Fifth; attorney Thomas E. Murray III of Bayport in the Seventh; anti-drug activist David Morrissey of Smithtown in the Eighth; and attorney Michael Marcantonio of Northport in the 12th District.

The party is putting up former Assemb. Edward Hennessey of East Moriches and Peter Legakis for Brookhaven District Court, and former Suffolk County Clerk William Holst and Gary Rosenthal of Hauppauge for Smithtown District Court.