Politics & Government

Vecchio Narrowly Wins GOP Nomination

Councilman Robert Crieghton vows to primary the 12-term supervisor.

Twelve-term Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio has won his party's nomination in his bid for a 13th term, though only by a narrow margin.

Members of Smithtown's Republican Committee on Monday voted in favor of Vecchio by a margin of 74 votes, according to Newsday, over challenger, Councilman Robert Creighton.

Creighton, who has drawn the ire of the town supervisor since his announcement to run, has vowed to primary the incumbent supervisor.

More than 13,000 ballots were cast in the weighted vote, which factored in the districts' voting records in the 2012 gubernatorial election.

Since Crieghton announced his candidacy this winter, Republican leaders have back pedaled away from Vecchio, Long Island's longest-seated town supervisor. In February, Suffolk GOP head John Jay LaValle threw the county's support behind Crieghton, who has pledged to run on a pro-business platform that would help rehabilitate Smithtown's economic centers by reversing the trend of business vacancies in the community.

Vecchio, on the other hand, has pointed to his fiscal record in town in his more than three-decade stewardship over Smithtown.

According to Newsday, Creighton congratulated Vecchio at Monday's vote, held at the Elks Club in Smithtown.

Councilmen Kevin Malloy and Thomas McCarthy, town Clerk Vincent Puleo and highway chief Glenn Jorgensen, also picked up nominations.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here