The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and North Fork will sponsor candidates debates for four contests this month, including for New York State’s 1st Congressional District, the state’s 1st Assembly and 1st Senate District, and the Shelter Island Town Board.
The candidates for the 1st Assembly District will debate on Monday, October 7, at 7 p.m. The contest pits Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni, a Democrat, against Stephen Kiely, the Republican candidate. Kiely is the Shelter Island Town attorney. The seat is being vacated by Fred W. Thiele Jr., the longtime incumbent, who has endorsed Schiavoni.
Two debates will happen on the evening of October 21. At 6 p.m., State Senator Anthony Palumbo, the Republican incumbent, will debate his Democratic challenger, Sarah Anker. Anker is a former Suffolk County legislator, having served 13 years in the Legislature until being term limited.
At 7:30 p.m., Representative Nick LaLota, a Republican seeking a second term in the House of Representatives, will debate John Avlon, the Democratic candidate. The debate for Congress is co-sponsored by the three other Leagues within the 1st District — those of Brookhaven, Huntington and Smithtown.
At each debate, candidates will make timed opening and closing statements and answer questions contributed in advance to Neil Cohen, the League’s Voter Services Committee chair, at neilcohen.8@gmail.com.
These three debates can be seen live on Southampton Town’s SEA-TV YouTube channel, YouTube.com/c/SeaTVSouthampton, and will be available on demand at the same site as of the following day.
The League will also host a live debate for one seat on the Shelter Island Town Board on October 13 at 1 p.m. at the Shelter Island School. There are three candidates: the Republican candidate Thomas M. Cronin, the Democratic candidate Arnott (Gordon) Gooding, and Lisa Shaw, who is unaffiliated with a major party and is backed by the Island Action Committee.
Election information on all candidates can be found on the voters guide at vote411.org by entering your address.
For registered voters planning to vote by absentee ballot or early mail ballot, applications in English and other languages can be downloaded from the New York State Board of Elections website at elections.ny.gov and mailed to the Suffolk County Board of Elections, P.O. Box 700, Yaphank, NY 11980. Applications must be received by October 26. October 26 is also the deadline for the Board of Elections to receive a voter registration form.
Early voting starts on October 26 and concludes on November 3. Election Day is November 5.
