Parties eye vacant Southampton Town Board seat in 2010

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The Southampton Town Democratic and Republican parties this week began gearing up for another election battle—over what will be a vacant seat on the Town Board next year.

The seat, currently occupied by Anna Throne-Holst, will be vacated when Ms. Throne-Holst assumes the job of supervisor on January 1. Ms. Throne-Holst, who ran on the Democratic Party ticket but is not registered with a political party, defeated Republican Supervisor Linda Kabot in the November 3 election.

A special election must be held 60 to 90 days after an elected seat is declared vacant, as required by a ballot referendum that was approved by two-thirds of town voters on November 3. That means the election for the vacant seat should be held sometime in March.

Democrats seem poised to enter a candidate into the race before the Republican Party does. Southampton Democratic Committee Chairman Gordon Herr said the party might select a candidate as early as this week. “Time goes quickly,” he said. “Things need to get done, people need to prepare the campaign.”

Meanwhile, Republican Committee Chairman Ernest Wruck said party leaders expect to begin formal interviews in the coming weeks, but possibly as late as January. Mr. Wruck said he has not had formal or even informal talks with other party leaders about possible candidates and said he welcomes anyone with interest in the seat to interview with the party’s screening committee.

Asked if the party is waiting for Democrats to select a candidate before making their own selection, Mr. Wruck said the Democrats’ decision will not influence who the Republicans choose as a nominee. “We will be watching with great interest, but ultimately we will pick whoever is the best qualified candidate,” he said. “I have not made a commitment to anyone.”

Party leaders and politicians were mum on who might run for the soon-to-be vacant seat. Mr. Wruck said he expects that Democrats would run Bridget Fleming—a Sag Harbor lawyer who, along with her running mate, incumbent Councilwoman Sally Pope, lost to Republican councilman-elect Jim Malone and Councilman Christopher Nuzzi earlier this month—but he declined to name any possible Republican candidates.

Mr. Herr said his party would consider candidates other than Ms. Fleming and Ms. Pope.

Nonetheless, Ms. Pope confirmed on Friday that she will not run for office after her term expires in January, apparently leaving the door open for Ms. Fleming to run for the seat.

“I made up my mind—I’m throwing away my lawn signs,” Ms. Pope said. “I hope Bridget Fleming decides to run.”

Ms. Fleming on Friday expressed interest in taking a second shot but stopped short of declaring any definitive plans.

“Right now I’m on vacation with my family, focusing on them, reconnecting,” Ms. Fleming said. “I’m very honored that many people I respect have asked me to consider [running]. I’m not ruling anything out.”

At least one Republican expressed an interest in running for the seat.

Republican Daniel Russo, a former Town Board member, said he is considering screening before the Southampton Town Republican Committee. Mr. Russo, who served briefly after being appointed to fill the vacancy created by Ms. Kabot’s move to the supervisor’s chair, was narrowly defeated by Ms. Pope when he sought election in 2008.

“I would certainly be interested,” Mr. Russo said. “I very may well screen for that position.”

However, other current and former elected officials were less outspoken.

Republican Supervisor Linda Kabot, who was defeated by Ms. Throne-Holst, declined to comment on whether she will try a run for the vacant seat. “Mum is the word,” Ms. Kabot said.

Another former Town Board member, Jim Drew, a registered Conservative Party member, was also defeated in his bid for a board seat in 2007, said he would consider running, except that no one from the Republican Party has asked him to.

With only a few months before the special election, Mr. Drew said, it would be difficult for a third-party candidate to wage a successful campaign.

“You’d have to assemble a campaign within two to three months. You’d have to have the organizations’s support,” Mr. Drew said. “You couldn’t go out and freelance it yourself.”