Lauren Sheprow defeats fellow trustee in Port Jefferson mayor's race

A write-in candidate won the Port Jefferson mayor's race Tuesday after she had been kicked off the ballot for filing her candidacy petition incorrectly.

Trustee Lauren Sheprow defeated fellow trustee Kathianne Snaden, 956-796, Village Clerk Barbara Sakovich said in an email.

The winner will succeed Mayor Margot J. Garant, who will step down in July after completing her seventh two-year term.

Sheprow, a retired Stony Brook University spokesperson whose father, Harold J. Sheprow, is a former Port Jefferson mayor, had been removed from the ballot last month after Snaden challenged her filing petition. The matter was referred to the Suffolk County Board of Elections, which ruled Sheprow had failed to include a required cover letter.

In the trustee race, former village clerk Robert J. Juliano, who got 1,244 votes, and incumbent Stanley Loucks, with 935 votes, won two open seats, Sakovich said. Juliano will replace Snaden, whose term expires next month.

Terms for both mayor and trustee are two years. Annual salaries are $35,000 for the mayor, and $12,500 for trustees.

In other village elections:

Bellport

Maureen Veitch on Tuesday defeated Kieran Murphy, 646-211, in the race to succeed Mayor Raymond Fell, Village Clerk John Kocay said in an email.

Fell must step down after serving the maximum 10 years allowed under the village's term limits law. The term for mayor is two years, and the annual salary is $9,000.

Brightwaters

Incumbent trustees Thomas Zepf, who received 341 votes, and Patrick Fawcett, with 312 votes, were reelected Tuesday, defeating challenger Joseph McDermott, who got 227 votes. Trustees serve two-year terms and are unpaid.

Hewlett Bay Park

A write-in candidate won one of two open trustee seats Tuesday.

Sara Joseph, with 23 votes, defeated incumbent Jay Levy, who got 10 votes. Trustee Renee Zylberberg and another write-in candidate, Stella Gershfeld, deadlocked at 14 votes and will compete in a runoff election, village officials said. No date for the runoff was announced.

Those seats carry two-year terms. Trustees are not paid.

Trustee Michael Davidov was elected with 22 votes to complete the last year of a two-year term.

Huntington Bay

Incumbent trustees Mark Dara, with 209 votes, and Barbara Beuerlein, 208 votes, defeated challenger Janice Schillig, 124 votes, for two open seats, Village Administrator Gail Devol said. Terms are two years. Trustees are paid $200 monthly, and an additional $200 monthly if they serve as commissioner of a village department. 

Manorhaven

Challenger Jeffrey A. Stone won one of two open seats with 388 votes, while incumbent trustees Vincent Costa and Khristine Shahipour are deadlocked at 207 votes for the second seat. Village officials said they are waiting for absentee ballots to be counted. Terms are two years. Trustees are paid $3,000 annually. 

Ocean Beach

Ian Levine and Jennifer Moritz ousted two incumbent trustees and defeated another challenger in voting on June 2.

Levine, who received 202 votes, and Moritz, with 195 votes, defeated incumbents Matthew Blake, with 138 votes, and Christopher F. Norris, with 136 votes, and challenger Robert Cernilli, with 158 votes, village officials said. 

Trustees serve for four years and receive $651.82 in annual salary.

Poquott

Jeremy Flint, with 212 votes, and John Musiello Jr., with 202 votes, defeated Jim Ma, who received 118 votes, for two trustee seats Tuesday, Village Clerk Cindy Schleider said. Felicia Chillak received two write-in votes.

Trustees serve for two years and are unpaid.

Paul Edelson, with 158 votes, defeated Darlene Mercieca, who got 131 votes, in the village justice race.

Justice terms are four years. They are paid $250 for each monthly session of court.

Sag Harbor

Village Justice Steven Tekulsky on Tuesday lost to challenger Carl Irace, an attorney.

Irace received 327 votes while Tekulsky totaled 141. The justice term is four years.

Deputy Mayor Thomas Gardella received 376 votes in his uncontested bid for mayor. Gardella will succeed Mayor James LaRocca, who opted not to seek a second term. The mayor serves a two-year term.

Trustees Aidan Corish and Robert Plumb ran unopposed. Plumb received 315 votes and Corish totaled 289.

The mayor earns $26,000 while trustees earn $12,000.

With Brinley Hineman, Brianne Ledda, Deborah S. Morris, Joe Werkmeister and Darwin Yanes

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

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.