Christopher Gallant, a 36-year-old air traffic controller, Black Hawk helicopter pilot and volunteer firefighter with the Copaigue Fire Department, will be the Democratic Party’s candidate to run against Congressman Nick LaLota in this November’s election.
According to unofficial tallies from the Suffolk County Board of Elections Tuesday evening, Mr. Gallant had won 62.89 percent of the vote against 25-year-old Lukas Ventouras of Northport, who put his law school education on pause to run for Congress on a message of affordability for Long Islanders this spring. Mr. Gallant took home 12,132 votes, Mr. Ventouras took home 7,130 and there were 30 write-in ballots cast.
“Tonight belongs to every Long Islander who is tired of being taken for granted by their representative,” said Mr. Gallant in his victory remarks Tuesday evening at The Backyard in Middle Island. “I got into this race because now is the time for change. Congressional approval is at its lowest point while families in this district are struggling. The person representing them made promises he didn’t keep. Tonight we start the real work.”
Mr. Gallant recently outlined a six-point governing agenda, The Mission Plan 2027, which is “focused on lowering the cost of living, protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, investing in Long Island’s infrastructure and coastal resilience, supporting veterans and military families, standing with labor and working families, and restoring accountability in government.”
Read our talk with Mr. Gallant earlier this spring.
In East Hampton, the path to re-election just became much smoother for incumbent Democratic Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who won 62.24 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary waged by East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen. Ms. Burke-Gonzalez, who has the backing of New York Governor Kathy Hochul, is expected to run unopposed this fall after town Republicans failed to field a Supervisor candidate. Ms. Burke-Gonzalez won 2,054 votes and Mr. Larsen won 1,245.
Southold Town Democratic Party Chair Kathryn Casey Quigley says she believes she made inroads in numerous campaigns to challenge sitting Suffolk County Democratic Committee members as part of her bid to unseat sitting Democratic Party Chair Rich Schaffer in a committee vote this fall.
“While not yet official, returns indicate that our 81 candidates will win the majority of their races for County Committee,” said Ms. Casey-Quigley in a statement on social media Tuesday evening. “Democrats of Suffolk County sent a clear message tonight: they’re ready for change in the Party. TeamKCQ is ready to bring it.”
We’ll update this post with more details as they become available.
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