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Councilman McCarthy, Councilwoman Nowick, NYS Assemblyman Fitzpatrick, Supervisor Vecchio, SC Legislator Trotta and Republican Town Council candidate Lisa InzerilloStanding outside Town Hall Republicans gathered to endorse and to offer support to Lisa Inzerillo a winner in the September 10th Republican primary. Ms. Inzerillo, received the second most votes in the primary defeating incumbent Councilman Robert Creighton. Ms. Inzerillo is the official Republican candidate for Town Council. Gathered around Ms. Inzerillo was Supervisor Patrick Vecchio, NYS Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick, Legislator Robert Trotta, Councilman Thomas McCarthy and Councilwoman Lynne Nowick.
Along with the photo-op the message of the press conference was clear, primary election results are valid and reflect the will of the voters. Winners of primary challenges are legitimate and entitled to party backing.
The majority of elected officials attending the press conference had successfully won a Republican primary challenge and everyone who won their primary received the backing of the Republican Committee. In 2013 incumbent Patrick Vecchio received local party backing after defeating Robert Creighton a John LaValle (Suffolk County Republican Chairman) favorite. Lynne Nowick defeated Councilman Kevin Malloy and Legislator Trotta came out of nowhere to win his primary for an open seat. With each victory came a message from Smithtown Republican Chairman Bill Ellis to unite and get behind the candidate.
More than three weeks after her victory Ms. Inzerillo is still waiting for her endorsement from town leader Bill Ellis.
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Supervisor Patrick Vecchio and Lisa InzerilloRepublican insiders suggest Ms. Inzerillo should not hold her breath. “A civil war” is how one committee person described the current status of the Republican Party. Another Republican, declining to be named, described a power struggle that has the longest serving Town Supervisor, Patrick Vecchio pitted against a contingency that wants to strip him or at least share some of his control over Smithtown’s zoning, Town Departments, Town planning and the budget. The underlying concern for some Republicans is a sense that the battle is being orchestrated by outside forces namely John J. LaValle. Mr. Creighton was a registered Conservative who changed party affiliation to Republican specifically to primary Supervisor Vecchio in 2013. Amongst those who supported Creighton even after Vecchio won the primary were Conservative Party member Smithtown Town Clerk Vincent Puleo and Republican County Chairman Mr. John LaValle.
Chairman Ellis was reluctant to endorse Inzerillo on September 10 when she won the vote count. In a phone conversation with Smithtown Matters he said he would wait until the absentee ballots were counted and suggested that there were some improprieties in the signatures on her petitions. According to sources at the BOE there have been no challanges and no investigation into the Inzerillo petitions. So where is the endorsement Inzerillo backers want to know?
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Councilwoman Lynne Nowick and Lisa InzerilloLast week Mr. Ellis was fired from his position on the Suffolk County Board of Elections (BOE) by Suffolk County Chairman John J. LaValle. As county leader, Mr. LaValle has the authority to hire and fire Republican BOE employees. There has not been any explanation as to why Mr. Ellis was fired. Mr. Ellis remains the Chaiperson for the Smithtown Republican Committee.
There are some who believe that Mr. Ellis was about to recognize Ms. Inzerillo as the official Town Council candidate before he was fired from the BOE. Mr. Ellis, as leader of Smithtown Republicans, still has the responsibility for getting Republicans elected. For now the only thing coming from Bill Ellis is silence. Will he come out and endorse Inzerillo? Many Republican committee people suggest that Inzerillo not hold her breath waiting.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2015.