Slate of Candidates For Huntington Town Offices

Town Clerk, Town of Huntington - Elect 1

Simon S. Saks

                Democratic

Saks works as a write-off mitigation specialist at the Suffolk County Water Authority. According to his campaign’s Facebook page, “he wants to bring new technology and an inclusive process to the Town.” On the Suffolk Democratic Party website it states “He brings his education and experience as a Syracuse University and CUNY Law Graduate, and as a former District Adjudication Officer, where he adjudicated citizenship applications. Saks also attended Harvard University in the special student (non-degree) program of the Graduate School of Arts in Science where he studied Ethics in Government.”

Andrew P. Raia

                Republican, Conservative, Working Families, Libertarian, Independence

Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2002, he is currently serving his ninth term in the New York State Legislature. He has worked his way to serving as the Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Health Committee and is also a member of the Environmental Conservation, Insurance, Housing, and Rules committees.

Raia’s long-standing commitment to his constituents and tenure within the New York State legislature has helped him become a leader within the Assembly, he says. He is currently serving as the Assistant Minority Leader, the Minority representative on the Legislative Council on Health Care Financing, and a member of the Budget Conference Committee on Health. In 2017 he was named the NYS Association of Health Care Providers’ 2017 Elected Official of the Year. Raia has also served on the Executive Boards of the Huntington Boys and Girls Club, Huntington Freedom Day Care Center, Huntington Station Enrichment Center, Katherine Gibbs, Perspectives on Youths; and M’Yad L’Yad Helping Hands, is a member of the Northport Historical Society, the Babylon Historical Society, the Huntington Historical Society and the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Society. Raia’s commitment to community service includes membership in the Knights of Columbus, the Sons of Italy, and the Chambers of Commerce in Huntington, Northport, East Northport, and West Islip. He is an honorary board member for the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Building Homes for Heroes.

Raia graduated from the Leadership Huntington Foundation Program and was named one of its Graduates of Distinction in 2017. Additionally, he was Long Island Business News’ 2008, 40 under 40 honoree. Raia graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Receiver of Taxes, Town of Huntington - Elect 1

Jillian A. Guthman*

                Democratic, Working Families, Independence

Jillian Guthman, an attorney, was appointed to the tax receiver position to fill the balance of the term that was vacated by Ester Bivona. She was subsequently elected to the position of  Receiver of Taxes in November 2018. Guthman served for 10 years as Director of the Town’s Human Services department, and in several prior positions in the Town Attorney's office. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from St. John’s University, and received her law degree from Touro College’s Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.

Stacy H. Colamussi

                Republican, Conservative, Libertarian

Colamussi currently serves as the Town of Huntington’s Deputy Town Clerk. Active for more than 30 years, she is credited with assisting Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia in creating a Records Center to manage the inactive records of the Town of Huntington. In 2013 she was elevated to her current role, Colamussi is still overseeing the Records Management Program as Records Administrator. She has helped prepare the Town Clerk’s budget, manages a staff of 13-15 people, administers payroll, vacation and time off requests, and interacts with the public and all Departments of the Town on a daily basis. Colomussi has worked in obtaining many state grants to systematically improve the program. Her goal is to successfully transfer her management skills and the understanding of process and process improvement from the Clerk’s Office to the Receiver’s Office. Deputy Clerk Colamussi received her degree form Endicott College.

Councilman, Town of Huntington - Elect 2

Joan A. Cergol*

                Democratic, Working Families, Green, Independence

Councilwoman Cergol is running for re-election. According to her campaign website, major issues to be tackled are “Open, Transparent and Inclusive Government, Public Safety/Gangs and Drugs, Cost Effective Government, Communication/Constituent Service, Responsible ‘Smart’ Development, Safeguard Environment/Open Space Preservation/Park Improvements.” Prior to her service on the town board, Cergol served as Director of the Huntington Community Development Agency, and before that, as an economic development specialist, project manager and constituent problem-solver in the Town Supervisor’s office (2002-2017).

In those roles as the Executive Director of the Town’s Local and Economic Development Corporations, Cergol managed many of the Town’s high-level capital improvement projects, including the revitalization of Huntington Station and downtown business hamlets, and has used her persuasive writing skills to secure over $20 million in grants for Town infrastructure projects and other programs. Cergol received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Long Island University.

Kathleen Bradbury Cleary

                Democratic

A lifelong Long Islander, Kathleen A. Cleary grew up in Massapequa Park and currently resides in East Northport. Cleary serves as a horticulturist for Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. Her background includes work at Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Accenture in Contracts Management. Lack of parking in Huntington Village is an issue as well as potential over development. Cleary opposes the settlement of the LIPA law suit. She feels her business background will help her streamline town operations and bring more transparency. Cleary holds a degree in business administration from Adelphi and, more recently, earned a degree in horticulture technology management from Farmingdale State College.

Eugene Cook*

                Republican, Conservative, Libertarian, Independence

Gene Cook is running for his third and last term in accordance with the term limits he proposed and helped to pass. He has been leading the fight over the law suit with LIPA which will have a tremendous negative effect on local taxes if the Town loses the fight. Cook wants to see more historic preservation to maintain the town’s charm, and supports the arts and cultural projects to enhance the quality of life. He has helped expand parking in Huntington village by backing the purchase of the Chase bank lot. 

The councilman is the owner of a successful business which provides contracting and building construction services. Cook has a Business Administration degree from Nassau Community College and is the holder of patents for products and inventions related to heavy equipment.

Andrea Sorrentino Jr.

                Republican, Conservative, Working Families

Sorrentino is director of town General Services for the Town of Huntington and an elected commissioner of the Huntington Fire Department. He and his brother Pat run the annual Sorrentino Family Turkey Drive.  Sorrentino said, “We wanted to take it to another level. It’s all about giving back.” in 2018, they gave away 2,660 turkeys to local families in need.

In his role as General Services Director, he has spearheaded a community beautification initiative allowing businesses, organizations and residents to “adopt” a corner at intersections of roads across the Town. Under his guidance, the town was able to reopen many playground, ran beautification projects and helped with the quality of life across the entire town. He is a graduate of Huntington High School.

Eleanor D Putignano

                Green

At the time of writing, we were still awaiting research on this candidate.

Patrick W. Deegan Jr.

                Libertarian

Deegan is running a grass roots campaign. He has stated, "My platform is simple and, in fact, not of my own design. I believe in a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I've noticed that although our government is supposed to operate on behalf of the people, it doesn't at an increasingly alarming rate.” His educational background includes studies at Brandeis University, St. Johns University, and University of S. Carolina.

(* Incumbent)