The 13th Legislative District includes Smithtown, Fort Salonga, Kings Park, San Remo, Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor, St. James and parts of Commack as well as areas in Huntington.
Due to term limits there is an open seat in the 13th Legislative District (LD). Three names will appear on the November 5th ballot; Elaine Turley (D), Robert Trotta(R,C) and Mario Mattera (I).
Robert TrottaRobert Trotta was a long shot in the September Republican primary. Trotta and a group of extremely organized supporters successfully carried petitions to get his name on the ballot and forced a primary against the Republican favorite Paul Hennings. In a three-way primary which included Mario Mattera, Trotta ended up receiving 57 percent of the vote earning the coveted spot on the Republican line. Paul Hennings the Conservative candidate was then nominated for a judgeship allowing the Conservatives to name Trotta as their candidate. With both the Republican and Conservative lines Trotta is considered a heavy favorite on November 5th.
Trotta grew up in Commack and lives in Fort Salonga, he is a police detective and has served 25 years with the Suffolk County Police Department. Trotta has been active in the Kings Park Civic Association and the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation. If elected, he has pledged to retire from his position as a police detective and become a full-time legislator. He considers himself a fiscal conservative although he speculates that others call him “cheap”. He is concerned with the economic situation in the county and talks of the reality of baby boomers retiring and not spending money. He worries that his children will be burdened by the economic decisions made today. Although he does not offer a plan for how he will deal with the current fiscal crisis, he is adamant that quick fixes like the sale of the County’s Dennison Building are not real solutions to the tough economic issues facing the County.
Trotta has proven himself a tenacious fighter for the causes he believes in. He was a leader in the fight to turn the Kings Park Psychiatric Center into the Nissequogue River State Park (NRSP). He offers a vision of biking, hiking and has received some criticism for suggesting a water park on the grounds of the NRSP. The words “public - private partnership” easily rolls off his tongue.
Trotta is not without his detractors who worry that his focus will be on the Kings Park area to the detriment of the rest of the district. Some people have expressed concern that as a member of the police union he will not be objective when he deals with the tough economic issues of salaries, pensions, and healthcare costs for County union members. There are Republicans who worry that the fact that he challenged the party’s designee is an indication that he will not support the Republican agenda. As to these concerns he says he is restricted from commenting on police issues while he is a member of the SCPD. He offers assurance that he has always done and will continue to do the right thing.
Elaine TurleyElaine Turley has not been active in campaigning for the legislative seat, which doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to serve. A realist, she accepts the fact that with the Republican/Conservative lines Rob Trotta is heavily favored to win the seat. Turley is a practicing attorney specializing in Elder Law, Estate Planning and Real Property Transaction. She resides in Fort Salonga and also promises that if elected she will be a full-time legislator. She has a long history of challenging the status quo advocating for children with autism, she was instrumental in the creation of the Kings Park Hike and Bike trail, served as president of the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce and the first female chairperson of the Smithtown Democratic Committee. She has also run for this office twice before losing by 125 votes to Michael D’Andre and again in a hard fought campaign against Lynne Nowick in 2001. Turley has stated that if elected she would give up her law practice. She acknowledges that it will take time to close out her cases, but none the less says she would welcome the opportunity to serve. A passionate supporter of “responsible governance” she has vowed that if elected she will cross party lines to deal with the financial challenges the County faces. She worries about “extremism” in government and promises to be an independent voice for all of the constituents in the 13 LD. As a solo practitioner she deals with the challenges every business owner deals with, but also sees the side that frequently gets overlooked - the hardships many of our seniors, their caregivers and families, live with each day. Turley hopes to bring balance to the legislature.
Mario Mattera is not actively seeking election at this time.