Edwards Announces Supervisor Bid
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Long Islander News photo/Jano Tantongco
Councilwoman Tracey Edwards officially announced her intent to run for Huntington Town supervisor at a fundraiser event on Tuesday at Pancho Villa’s restaurant in Huntington village.
By Jano Tantongco
jtantongco@longislandergroup.com
Huntington Councilwoman Tracey Edwards announced her run for supervisor Tuesday night.
“I will work so hard on your behalf, your family’s behalf, the businesses’ behalf, and I will do it with passion, with energy, with drive and I’m just excited,” Edwards told the crowded room Pancho Villa’s restaurant in Huntington village, which played host to a fundraising event for the councilwoman.
Edwards added, “Huntington is too important. I’ve lived here all my life. I’m passionate about this town.”
Moments earlier, the councilwoman was introduced by her fellow board member, and incumbent supervisor, Frank Petrone. He commended Edwards, whom he has sat on the board with for the past three years, and said she would help move the town forward.
“We all know that what’s ahead of us is a tough path, but we’re all committed to this great town,” Petrone said. “We want to keep this town in the shape that it’s in, and we know that we have a person, my dear friend,” to do it.
Since elected to the town board in 2014, Edwards has run the gamut of issues, addressing those from human services to code enforcement, said Petrone.
She was previously Verizon’s regional president for Long Island and upstate New York before retiring late last year. Edwards is a former chair of the Town of Huntington Planning Board, and retired as vice president of the Elwood School Board.
If elected, Edwards said she wants to prevent “stepping on the brakes,” and to keep up the momentum of progress.
“I want to make sure that we protect the families of Huntington, that every child has an opportunity to grow and prosper with their family, that all of our businesses thrive and that we are protecting the environment,” said Edwards, who is effectively creating an open seat on the Huntington Town Board by running for supervisor.
“I am absolutely overwhelmed. This is just an exciting time for all of us.”
Edwards said she wants to grow the town economically, socially, recreationally in a “healthy way.”
Suffolk Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), who also attended the fundraiser, also spoke highly of Edwards.
“Tracey has been such a great advocate and she’s done so much for the community,” Spencer said. “Tracey would make a great supervisor, and I’m very excited about her candidacy.”
Also formally in the running on the Democratic end are former Nassau Legislator Brian Muellers and Northport High School teacher Darryl St. George.
Huntington Town Democratic Committee Chair Mary Collins has previously said the party has until the end of May to select its nominee.
Asked Wednesday, Huntington Republican Committee Chair Toni Tepe said the party has yet to make a decision on a candidate for supervisor, but will likely make a decision in “a couple of weeks.”
