Suffolk Legislature: All 18 seats up for grabs

All 18 Suffolk County Legislature seats are up for election on Nov. 7, with 35 candidates in the running.

Republicans hold an 11-6 majority on the legislature. One seat is vacant.

Suffolk legislators serve part-time, 2-year terms with $107,051 salaries. The county's proposed budget for 2024 raises the salaries to $111,333.

The 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th Districts will have new representatives next year because of open seats.

Republicans see potential flips in the 1st, 5th and 6th Districts, all held by Democrats.

Legis. Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) is leaving the 1st District to run for Southold Town supervisor. Republican Catherine Stark of Riverhead, Krupski’s chief of staff, is running against Democrat Catherine Kent of Calverton, a retired teacher and former Riverhead Town councilwoman.

Legis. Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) was term-limited in the 5th District and left office in August to take a job with the state Parks Department. Former Assemb. Steven Englebright, a Democrat from Setauket, and Anthony Figliola, a Republican from East Setauket, are running to replace her.

Legis. Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) is also term-limited and cannot seek reelection. Her chief of staff, Dorothy Cavalier, a Democrat from Mount Sinai, is running against Republican Chad Lennon, an attorney and major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves who lives in Rocky Point.

Legis. Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) is leaving the 2nd District seat, which represents the South Fork. Southampton Town Trustee Ann Welker, a Democrat from Southampton, faces Republican Manuel Vilar of Springs, a retired senior sergeant with the state Park Police.

Democrats are hoping to hold their seats and flip the 7th, 16th and 18th district seats, all held by first-term Republicans.

In the 7th District, Legis. Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue) is running against Democrat Ryan McGarry of Patchogue, chief of staff for the Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees.

In the 16th District, Legis. Manuel Esteban (R-East Northport) is facing a challenge from Democrat Rebecca Sanin of Huntington Station, CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island.

In the 18th District, Legis. Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) faces Democrat Eve Meltzer-Krief, a pediatrician from Centerport.

The races are:

• District 1: Democrat Catherine Kent vs. Republican Catherine Stark
• District 2: Democrat Ann Welker vs. Republican Manuel Vilar
• District 3: Democrat Thaddeus O'Neil vs. Republican James Mazzarella
• District 4: Democrat Timothy Hall vs. Republican Nicholas Caracappa
• District 5: Democrat Steven Englebright vs. Republican Anthony Figliola
• District 6: Democrat Dorothy Cavalier vs. Republican Chad Lennon
• District 7: Democrat Ryan McGarry vs. Republican Dominick Thorne
• District 8: Democrat Heather Gallagher vs. Republican Anthony Piccirillo
• District 9: Democrat Samuel Gonzalez vs. Republican Teresa Bryant
• District 10: Democrat Derek Stein vs. Republican Trish Bergin
• District 11: Democrat Lucas Deitch vs. Republican Steven Flotteron
• District 12: Democrat Denis Graziano vs. Republican Leslie Kennedy
• District 13: Republican Robert Trotta
• District 14: Democrat Edward Buturla vs. Republican Kevin McCaffrey
• District 15: Democrat Jason Richberg vs. Republican Richard Felix
• District 16: Democrat Rebecca Sanin vs. Republican Manuel Esteban
• District 17: Democrat Thomas Donnelly vs. Republican Catherine Corella
• District 18: Democrat Eve Meltzer-Krief vs. Republican Stephanie Bontempi

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.