Martin Drew Tosses Name into Town Supervisor Race

Martin W. Drew Jr. has launched a write-in campaign for town supervisor, offering voters a choice, he said, since Larry Cantwell's name is the only one that will appear on the ballot.

"I am running because, as a lifelong citizen, I'm tired of the party, partisan cycles that give lip service to our town problems without any resolution we can point to in over a decade in a lot of hot topics," Drew said, rattling off issues like affordable housing, commercial sprawl in residential neighborhoods, and the need for a town-wide re-assessment.

Registered as a blank, he does not have the backing of any political party.

Drew touts himself as a "community organizer," first going to the town board as a 17-year-old in 1984 about the lack of dedicated space for dirt bikers, something the town still doesn't have nearly 30 years later.

"I'm out for real change," Drew said. As part of his political platform, he plans to create special tax districts in areas, like Montauk, that require more policing and enforcement, "embarrass/prosecute" realtors who rent share houses, enhance the taxi legislation, and create an industrial park for commercial truck parking.

When it comes to East Hampton Airport, Drew said he proposing a "wall of shame" for those who "offenders" at the airport. He has plans for a stakeholders meeting to find a compromise.

A resident of Springs, he was recently appointed by the town board to the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee, after many years of trying to get on the CAC, he said. He's been involved with LTV, since its inception, and has a show on the local channel. He's served on the youth advisory committee and the former Telecommunications Advisory Committee. He also sat on the committee for the Town Comprehensive Plan, completed in 2002.

This is not the first time Drew has thrown his name into the supervisor race, though he said it's the first time he's a write-in in a bonafide way. In 2011, he received 7 votes for town supervisor amidst the race between Supervisor Bill Wilkinson and Democratic challenger Zachary Cohen, in which Wilkinson won by only 15 votes.

"I interjected myself as a convenient third-wheel who had no expectation of winning just to get my opinions out in an environment where they would not like to talk about," he said.

Drew also ran, on the ballot, for Springs School Board in May 2013. Receiving 77 votes, he came in last in the three-way race for two seats. He said he didn't feel defeated because having no children, some thought he'd receive none.

This time, he said he has an expectation to win. "My girlfriend of 11 years [Cori Manson] and I decided if I win this race I will not be going to Puerto Rico for the winter as I've been known to be," Drew said. "I prefer to save my town than drinking piña coladas."

Asked why he thinks he can beat Cantwell, Drew said it's because Cantwell simply expects to win in November and claims not to be about party politics, but turned down the Republican nomination.

"A politician refuses cross endorsement over bringing a town together in its time of crisis just to prove loyalty to his running mates over the well being of the town and its citizen population," he said. "I'd vote for this qualified man, if voting for status quo was okay with me," he said.