Thiele Wins Re-election to State Assembly

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr., (I-Sag Harbor), was victorious over Richard A. Blumenthal to keep his seat in the New York State Assembly from District 2 with 99-percent of the election districts reporting results at 1:45 a.m.

A lifelong resident of Sag Harbor, Thiele opted for a quiet Election Day, spending time at his house in Sag Harbor doing home repairs, he said earlier that day. An Independent, Thiele also ran on the Democrat and Working Families lines. He has said this was a tough race.

Thiele did not return a calls for comment in the early morning hours. The election districts were slower than usual to report results, with political analysts surmising it was due to the new voting machines.

When he joined  the State Assembly in 1995 to fill Assemblyman John Behan's unexpired term, he was a Republican. It was in 2009 that he switched parties after endorsing Democrat Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and being only one of five Republicans in the Assembly to support a bill allowing homosexual couples to marry.

During the campaign against Blumenthal, Thiele said he was proud of being an independent thinker and legislator. He is one of just two Independent members of the State Legislature. He has taken on many issues that affect East End residents, such as voting against the MTA Payroll Tax since the MTA doesn't serve the East End much. He also supports a property tax cap.

He currently also serves at the Sag Harbor Village Attorney. He is a former Southampton Town Attorney and Supervisor.

Blumenthal, who ran on the Republican and Conservative party lines, has lived in Westhampton Beach for 20 years. A New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor, he was a counselor in the Connetquot School District for 27 years until retiring in June. His campaign platform was focused on cutting property taxes.