67 Write-Ins for Republican Supervisor Nod in East Hampton

Primary Tuesday was a quiet one in East Hampton.

Republicans turned out in low numbers to cast their vote for a candidate for Suffolk County District Attorney and County Sheriff, as well as write-in a name for East Hampton Town Supervisor. 

According to the board of elections website, 67 write-in votes were cast. Whose names were written in won't be known for at least seven days, the BOE said on Wednesday. 

Larry Cantwell, the Democratic, Independence, and Working Families candidate, is the obvious answer, though he is planning on declining the nomination.

"No change in my position," Cantwell said on Wednesday. "I would like to know the results before making any further comment."

In a statement issued last week, Cantwell said he was filing a candidate declination form with the Suffolk County Board of Elections ahead of the Sept. 10 primary in order to make it clear that he was not a candidate. He said he did not want Republican voters to be misled. 

"The effort to promote my candidacy has not been authorized by me; in fact no one even asked me if I would agree to accept," Cantwell said. "Several months ago I was asked by the Republican leader if I would consider being screened for Supervisor which I politely declined because I honestly believed the voters of East Hampton deserve a choice in the election for Supervisor. With the Independence, Democrat, and Working Families Party nominations there is ample opportunity for every voter who wishes to support me to do so."

The Republicans were unable to come up with another candidate, after Jay Schneiderman, a Suffolk County legislator from Montauk, declined the nomination in March, deciding instead to run for a final term on the legislature. Others considered a run, including Carole Campolo and Nancy Keeshan.

On the county level, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota held off Republican primary challenger Raymond Perini with about 56 percent of the vote, setting up the 12-year DA to run unopposed for a fourth term in November.

Also, incumbent Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco received nearly 68 percent of the vote in the primary, over Samuel Barreto Jr., who received just over 32 percent of the vote.