Write-In Candidate Earns Fire Commisioner Seat In East Quogue

Registered voters in western Southampton Town took to the polls last month to elect new fire district commissioners, and in one district, a write-in candidate won the race.

Stephen M. Gregory Jr. of East Quogue took in 27 of the 46 votes cast as a write-in candidate, ousting incumbent Aaron Sacks from his seat as a commissioner of the East Quogue Fire District.

Mr. Sacks served as commissioner in East Quogue for one five-year term, and sought re-election.

Attempts to reach Mr. Sacks by phone an email, seeking a comment on the election, were not successful. But in a letter to the editor of The Press, Mr. Sacks raised concerns that the community was only informed that an incumbent was running for the seat.

“Unbeknownst to the residents of East Quogue, a small group of people rallied a write-in campaign on the morning of the election for Stephen Gregory,” Mr. Sacks said in his letter. “The community didn’t know it had a choice in the upcoming election. Due to the community believing it was an unopposed election, the voter turnout was low. This allowed the small write-in campaign for Stephen Gregory to be successful.”

Mr. Gregory did not return a call to speak about the write-in campaign. His wife, Lorraine Gregory, serves as secretary of the board of fire commissioners in East Quogue and said on Monday that her husband was unaware of the campaign. She added that he was shocked when he found out he was elected a fire commissioner.

Dean Culver was re-elected to his fifth five-year term as a commissioner in the Westhampton Beach Fire District after running unopposed. Thomas Betjemann was also elected as a fire commissioner in the district, after beating out Ralph Beaver to finish up Vic Levy’s term on the board. Mr. Betjemann will serve the final year of Mr. Levy’s term, and will be up for re-election in December 2019.

In Eastport, Keith Kostuck was elected to his third five-year term as a commissioner after running unopposed, and in Hampton Bays, Christopher Langsdorf, who also ran unopposed, was elected to his second five-year term.

Multiple calls seeking the results of the Flanders Fire District Commissioner race were not returned.