Voting for Lukas
To The Editor:
I’m a registered Democrat, and I care who the party runs in November against incumbent Congressman Nick LaLota, a Republican who is a loyal supporter of the President and who supports the insane and impoverishing war of choice against Iran. So I will be voting in the primary to pick that candidate.
Pictured Above: Lukas Venturas at a Town Hall in Mattituck in April.
Two people are running: Lukas Venturas, a 25-year-old law student who grew up in the district and still lives in it, and Chris Gallant, a 37-year-old veteran, air traffic controller, and volunteer firefighter.
I’d met Chris last fall when I was campaigning, was excited to meet him because on paper he’s great. But I wasn’t impressed with his knowledge, energy, or campaign skills. That said, I recognized it was really early, and he had lots of time to develop as a candidate.
I got to know Lukas this year because he came to a Southold Democratic Committee meeting and showed up at a North Fork Action Center Meeting. (Chris also showed up at a Southold Committee meeting but didn’t really change my view of him.) I liked Lukas and his message, was impressed with his intelligence and his energy, but wasn’t instantly sold on the idea that he could overcome being 25.
I knew Lukas’ campaign treasurer from when we both volunteered for Nancy Goroff, and he hired me to do Lukas’ FEC reporting. I told him, however, that I wasn’t committing to voting for Lukas; I care too much about beating the incumbent to vote for him if I decided Gallant was the stronger candidate. I said I was waiting for the two debates—in Jamesport and Smithtown—so I could see them head-to-head and imagine them going up against LaLota.
Before the first debate, the one in Jamesport, I went to a forum Lukas held in Mattituck. I liked the things he said, but still wasn’t convinced. When people I asked me, I said I thought Lukas would be the better Congressman, he’s smarter, more knowledgeable about policy, and more on it generally. But I wasn’t sure he was the stronger candidate in November, and I wanted to vote for our strongest candidate.
So heading into the Jamesport debate, my mind was totally open and my focus was assessing electability. I brought my husband David with me, who knew nothing about either candidate. Leaving the debate, I asked David who he preferred. He didn’t hesitate: Lukas. I told him I did too; I thought Lukas answered questions more directly, had more presence, and thought on his feet more effectively.
I added that Lukas’ frank marketing of himself as an FDR Democrat is a good fit for the moment, and that his age generally tracks positively as inherently disruptive. But I concluded: I’m not committing yet, I want to see the second debate. I said the same to Lukas’ treasurer when he asked me if I wanted a campaign sign.
Well, Gallant quit the second debate — he’ll be a no-show next week. That debate was organized by the Smithtown Democratic Committee, and was aimed at the Democrats in the western part of the district, which is where our candidate needs to perform well in November if we’re to win. Consider that the Smithtown committee that represents some 24,000 registered Democrats, about the population of the whole Town of Southold, and dwarfs the number of Democrats served by the Jamesport debate.
Deciding to blow off the debate means Gallant is sending a message to the Smithtown Committee and to Democrats in the western part of the district: I’m entitled to your vote. I don’t need to audition for it. The Smithtown Democratic Committee is furious and will hold the event anyway; press were always expected, and they remain expected. Gallant will simply be an empty chair.
Obviously, Gallant’s campaign decided he had more to lose than to gain by participating in the debate. Why else would they cancel?
And that’s the important point: If Gallant thinks debating Lukas is enough of a negative to make insulting the Smithtown Committee worth it, then Gallant isn’t a strong candidate. Why should I believe he can beat LaLota if he ducks being contrasted with another Democrat? People can be amazing on paper—even photograph well too—but not be great candidates.
Gallant is replacing the Noon to 2 p.m. debate with a campaign canvassing launch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. But that’s a red herring; he could do both. I’ve helped organize a few canvassing campaign launches, and the candidates are important in the beginning, to energize the volunteers. After that, people are out door knocking. The door knocking is the point; people aren’t meeting and greeting the candidate for four hours.
So if you are a registered Democrat, and you want to have the strongest candidate against our Congressman this November, I encourage you to join me in voting for Lukas Ventouras. And when you drive past my Main Road house, you’ll see my Lukas sign out in front.
Abigail Field
Cutchogue
Gallant Is A Great Candidate
Dear Editor,
Just to clarify, Chris Gallant, the Democratic Primary candidate I support, has been in two debates including the one that can be streamed at any time with this link. His opponent may be a great candidate in 5 to 10 years. Chris brings a level of calm discourse and leadership skills that we need right now. His values contrast sharply with our current representative to Congress. May democracy prevail.
Marty Heitner
Greenport
Looking For Answers on Southold Grant
To the Editor:
The explanations for Southold Town’s failure to secure a potential $900,000 grant simply do not add up. Residents were told a water main break at Town Hall caused the missed deadline. This claim is demonstrably false a bold lie that has deepened public skepticism.
Why was an application of this magnitude left solely to the town liaison and still incomplete just one hour before the deadline? If information from various departments was provided well in advance, why wasn’t the application finalized and submitted days earlier? Why was everything left until the last minute? A misrepresented temporary disruption should never jeopardize major benefits for our community. These straightforward questions demand honest answers, not excuses.
The town liaison bears primary responsibility for missing the deadline and then lying about the cause. This lack of transparency at Town Hall is deeply troubling. Where is accountability when leaders evade responsibility instead of owning their mistakes?
The loss of this $900,000 opportunity raises serious concerns about competent management of vital funding. Southold residents especially children and families relying on the hockey rink and recreational facilities deserve better than evasion and misinformation. Our youth have been negatively impacted and merit a direct apology plus a full explanation.
Equally troubling is the decision not to apply for the Community Development Block Grant. These funds help improve infrastructure, upgrade facilities, and ease the local tax burden. Failing to pursue outside funding forces taxpayers to bear higher costs or reduced services.
Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of good government. Residents deserve clear answers: What exactly happened? Who was responsible? What safeguards will prevent future failures?
Our children and future generations deserve leadership that pursues every opportunity with diligence, integrity, and urgency. Anything less undermines trust and harms our community.
Sincerely,
Jason Taggart
Southold
Mr. Taggart is the Vice Chair of the Southold GOP
Thanks For Your Theater Coverage
Dear East End Beacon,
I just want to say a huge “THANK YOU” for your great reviews recommending two extraordinarily entertaining local theater productions. On the basis of your raves, I made sure not to miss either. And they were both stellar.
North Fork Community Theater’s “Anything Goes” delivered all the bang of a hit Broadway show, serving up a showbiz smorgasbord of creative staging, glittering costumes, joyous dance numbers, and engaging actors creating endearing characters. It was a spectacular production, even better than promised.
Hampton Theater Company’s “The 39 Steps” also more than lived up to your promising write-up. This quintessential “Tour de Force” had three of the four actors changing characters at break neck speed, and all four absolutely slaying the audience with their razor-sharp comic timing, while the physical comedy and sight gags kept us at rapt attention afraid to miss a minute. Had I not been at the final performance, I would go see it again.
We East Enders are so lucky to have all our local theater groups offering so many opportunities to see local talent give their all. And we are just as lucky to have East End Beacon. I can hardly wait to see what you recommend next!
Cindy Clifford
Riverhead
On LaLota and the First Congressional District
To the Editor:
The current First District member of Congress ignores the people whom he calls the hard-working average Long Islander.
He touts raising the cap on property tax credits and eliminating taxes on tips as his gift to working families in Southold and across New York State.
Meanwhile, the federal government spends money on a war, seizing foreign oil tankers, bombing small boats, adding a new east wing to the people’s house, even an arch, and now the slush fund of almost 2 billion dollars to people who attacked police and defaced the Capitol of the United States.
Here in Southold, as everywhere else, I presume, the price of a gallon of gasoline is moving toward the six-dollar mark. Our trips to the local grocery store become an adventure as inflation rises to over 3 percent. We squeezed more cash from the ATM than we did last month or year, while our 1st.
The district congressman sits by and takes a Memorial Day break instead of getting a hold of the federal purse strings, the sole purpose of their role as elected officials.
Meanwhile, he silently approves of the cost of an unending war, the removal of a leader of a South American country, the devastation of small outboard-equipped boats, and a slush fund to pay those who attack the police on January 6, 2001.
And now the Department of Justice has deleted history. They erased from their website the news about the criminal cases related to the events of January 6, 2001, calling it “partisan propaganda.” (Newsday, May 24, 2026, page A22)
History is being erased by our federal government, money is being spent to pay those who attack police, funds are used for an arch and a ballroom, while people need relief from higher prices. Where is our Congressman? Who will you vote for?
Joel Reitman
Peconic
Letters to the editor may be emailed to editor@eastendbeacon.com with “LTE” in the subject line, or sent via U.S. Post to P.O. Box 665, New Suffolk, NY 11956. Please include your name, and a telephone number for verification purposes, and don’t submit letters under false names. The Beacon will print all letters that are deemed to not be defamatory, obscene or advertisements, and may edit submissions for clarity and grammar. Due to space considerations we are only able to run one letter per writer per month in our print edition, and we may shorten lengthy letters in print to fit available space.
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