Editorial - Primary Ends With Vote Republican Party In Fight To The Death Battle

Today Smithtown Republicans get to vote for candidates who will represent them in November’s general election. The primary season is ending, Good riddance.

From the very beginning this contest was more a display of the ugliness of politics than a debate about policy and vision. The spring nominating convention set the tone for the primary. At the convention Republican Chairman Bill Ellis and the executive board willfully discarded three incumbents Councilman McCarthy and Councilwoman Nowick (both successful vote getters) and replaced them with two first time candidates Robert Doyle and Thomas Lohmann. In what many call a “bait and switch scheme” forty-year incumbent Supervisor Patrick Vecchio was dropped by the Republicans, not for the announced Republican candidate for supervisor John Zollo, who dropped out of the race so that the Republicans could throw their support to Ed Wehrheim. The one incumbent the Republicans endorsed is not a Republican, for town clerk the board endorsed Conservative Vincent Puleo. 

The question people need to ask themselves is why a chairman would undermine an entire slate of successful office holders. The obvious answer is control.

Although Smithtown is considered a Republican town, Supervisor Vecchio has a long history of showing an independent streak, party politics is not his strong suit.  Bill Ellis is the head of the Smithtown Republican Committee and with the title come some perks like submitting names to fill appointments to positions on the planning board, board of zoning appeals (BZA), conservation board, etc. Not all of the names Ellis put forth were Republicans, naming a Conservative increases the likelyhood of cross endorsements during elections. Ellis’ job as chairperson is to keep the party growing and successful. 

Recently, a recalcitrant Vecchio with the support of town board members began appointing people who were not named by Ellis.  Previous appointees with expiring terms were not reappointed. Board chairpersons  were uncerimoniously replaced. Not a good position for the head of the Republican Committee to be in. 

Ellis’s unwavering support of Conservative Vincent Puleo, a man Vecchio and his supporters feel was behind the oath of office debacle a tremendous embarrassment for the town and for Vecchio and Lynne Nowick, further complicates the relationship.

In interviews with Vecchio and Ellis both men were ferverant in their positions. Vecchio, who started his political life as a Democrat, believes that his actions are indicative of a person who puts Smithtown residents above party politics. Ellis believes that Vecchio’s time has come and is now over and that Ed Wehrheim is his man.

Clearly these two men do not like each other but more importantly they are unable to work together. Talking to both men you can hear their anger and distrust for each other. This is not a relationship that will improve after the primary. One gets the sense that this is a winner take all battle.

Pat

Comments

[Smithtown Voter]

These are our choices? Really?

[40 year resident]

Vecchio overstayed his welcome. Don't let the door hit you in the rear end.