Villages to hold contested elections to elect trustees, mayors

Several Long Island villages hold elections for mayor and board seats on Tuesday, including contested elections in six villages.

In Great Neck, incumbent Mayor Pedram Bral is seeking his second term on the Village Alliance Party line and faces Rebecca Gilliar on the Village Unity Party. Gilliar was previously a vocal advocate for Bral, organizing an ultimately unsuccessful write-in campaign for him in 2013. She supported him again two years later when he won the mayoral race but now says the village board needs more transparency.

Incumbent trustee Annie Mendelson of the Village Alliance Party is seeking her second term against Adam Harel, who is running with Gilliar, and incumbent Steven Hope, who is running on the Village Alliance Party line. The three candidates are vying for two open seats.

Poquott has a busy election, with five candidates running for two trustee seats in a race dominated by the board’s recent controversial spending plans. Incumbents Harold Berry and Jeff Koppelson are running on the Continuity Party line and are being challenged by John Richardson and Debbie Stevens, both running on the Peace Party line, and Angie Parlatore.

In Brightwaters, former trustee John Valdini and Thomas Zepf are running on the Greater Good Party line, facing off against Gregory J. Proce on the Integrity Party line for two open trustee seats. Valdini served on the board from 2009 to 2011.

In Sag Harbor, three candidates are vying for two trustee positions. Incumbent Ken O’Donnell is seeking his third term, up against challengers Thomas C. Gardella and H. Aidan Corish. Mayor Sandra Schroeder is running unopposed.

In Woodsburgh, three candidates are vying for two trustee seats in a race focused on quality-of-life issues. Incumbents Gary Goffner and Jacob “Jake” Harman are running for re-election on the Friends of the Village Party slate with incumbent Mayor Lee Israel, who is running unopposed. Jeffrey Smith is running for a trustee spot on the Unity Party slate.

In the Village of East Hampton, two candidates are seeking a one-year trustee position. Incumbent Philip V. O’Connell, who was appointed to trustee last year, is vying against challenger Arthur S. Graham.

Southampton Village held its election Friday and Michael Irving, 63, became the next mayor, defeating trustee Richard Yastrzemski. William Hattrick Jr. and Nancy McGann won two-year trustee seats as well. The pair beat out challenger Valerie Smith who made national headlines earlier this year for using a racial slur in a 2016 call to police that she has since apologized for. Irving, who ran on the Patriot Party line, garnered 477 votes and his opponent grabbed 379 of the total 876 votes cast. Irving will succeed Mark Epley, who is retiring from office.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the trustee candidates in Great Neck.