Barrett, Berland Win Working Families Party Nods

Keith M. Barrett and Susan Berland will represent the Working Families line in the race for two town board seats. 

Working Families Party voters chose Keith M. Barrett and incumbent Councilwoman Susan Berland by wide margins to be their nominees for two town board seats in a primary election last Thursday. 

Out of 1,356 eligible voters, Barrett, a Melville resident who works in the town’s general services department, received 205 votes, or 47.1 percent, followed by Berland, who received 113 votes, or 30.6 percent. Of the other candidates on the ballot, Charles Marino came closest, with 91 votes, or 21 percent of the turnout. Richard R. Hall received four votes, followed by Valerie Stringfellow, who got two votes. 

Barrett and Berland, who will be seeking her fifth term in office, will be going up against incumbent Gene Cook (I) and Northport-East Northport school board member Jennifer Thompson, both of whom are backed by the town Republican party, in the general election on Nov. 3. Both Barrett and Berland were endorsed by the town Democratic party.

The Conservative Party backed Michael Helfer for a run at the seat, and also endorsed Cook’s nomination.

As of Tuesday, the results were unofficial did not include absentee ballots and affidavits, according to the Suffolk County Board of Elections. 

- CARL CORRY