Questions of party loyalty and electoral subterfuge are well underway in the Town of Huntington.
Town Councilwoman Brooke Lupinacci (R-Lloyd Neck), who was elected to an at-large Town Council position in 2023, is now running to primary Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth (R-Huntington Bay).
Lupinacci is running against Smyth on allegations of over-development and selling out Huntington to developers.
However, not all is what it seems in the northwesternmost Suffolk town, as Lupinacci failed to screen with the Town Republican Committee and instead appears to have screened with the Town Democratic Committee, a move which clearly ended in failure as she sought to swipe the Republican nomination from Smyth.
“My understanding is that she had meetings with Democratic Party leaders in Huntington and Suffolk County Democratic Committee Chairman and Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer (D-North Babylon) too,” Huntington GOP Chairman Tom McNally told The Messenger. “Brooke has never denied it.”
Lupinacci had no previous elected experience until her election to the Town Board in 2023. She had been an assistant town attorney before becoming the Director of Labor Relations. She also served as an assistant Suffolk County district attorney.
McNally says he’s not sure of her motivation to possibly switch party lines, but he does know that she has been in “close contact” with the publisher of The North Shore Leader, Grant Lally, who has a “definite personal vendetta against Ed Smyth.”
“The Leader does nothing but endorse her and promote her, while at the same time trashing Smyth,” said McNally. “Not only does she talk with the Democrats, but she never wanted to screen with the GOP. We had a publicized notice screening meeting. All the other candidates screened, even Dr. Dave Bennardo (R-Greenlawn) who was at home in bed sick with COVID. He called on the phone to screen.”
Lupinacci is running a slate of opposition Republicans in the primary as well, with herself for the supervisor position and two others for Town Council positions: former councilman Gene Cook (R-Greenlawn), and former Huntington Zoning Board Chair John Posillico (R).
The nominated GOP candidates are Supervisor Smyth, Councilman Dave Bennardo, newcomer Greg Grizopoulous (R-Melville). The three are also running alongside Highway Superintendent Andre Sorrentino (R-Huntington).
“The mailers that Brooke and her team have put out are dark and negative. One of them has a picture of a Queens co-op that says, ‘Coming soon to Huntington, thanks, Ed Smyth,’” said McNally, adding that Lupinacci has tried to make a connection between Smyth and the developers.
“The fact is that Greg DeRosa, a developer who owns D&F Construction Group, Inc., and G2D Properties Corp. was recently arrested. He has nothing to do with Smyth. When Brooke was running for office, she took several thousands in campaign donations from DeRosa. Smyth and Councilwoman Theresa Mari (R-Centerport) didn’t.”
The Messenger obtained Lupinacci’s campaign disclosure forms from the New York State Board of Elections database, which shows two donations made to her 2023 Town Council campaign. $1,000 was contributed from a Halesite address in April on that year, followed by another $500 contribution from a Levittown address that October.
“In the circles as a county leader, I find myself with members of different parties. There were strong assertions that Brooke was attempting to secure the support of Democratic committee,” Suffolk County Republican Committee Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) told The Messenger. “In this primary, a vote for anyone other than Smyth, Bennardo, and Grizopoulous is a vote for the Democrats.”
Garcia says that he views this as a “nuisance primary”, one that is more about “personal gain and influence than it is about public service.”
“Like it or not, the Smyth team has been out there rolling up their sleeves and working with the community to bring strong Republican ideals, philosophy, and legislation to the forefront,” said Garcia. “The Smyth team in Huntington like the Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) team in Smithtown. They have worked cooperatively with our other officials, like County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) and our Suffolk County Legislators to make their towns safer and more affordable. The quality of life under the GOP leadership in both towns is second-to-none, no question.”
Garcia also says that what is not said about Lupinacci’s likely posturing for a Democratic endorsement might say more than a comment, as the Democratic Committee leaders in Huntington refused to comment on Lupinacci’s screening.
