Lofstad & Yastrzemski to Vie for Bender’s Southampton Board Seat
The race is set for Southampton Town’s special election, to be held Jan. 26, to fill the town board seat vacated by former Councilman Bradley Bender, who pleaded guilty to federal drug charges just before Thanksgiving.
Southampton Republicans have chosen their 2015 general election candidate for town supervisor, Richard Yastrzemski, to run for Mr. Bender’s seat, while Southampton Democrats have chosen their one unsuccessful town board candidate, Julie Lofstad.
Ms. Lofstad accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination on Sunday, and Mr. Yastrzemski accepted the Republican Party’s nomination Tuesday evening.
Mr. Yastrzemski, a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial, has served as Deputy Southampton Village Mayor for four years and is also raising two children in Southampton.
Throughout his campaign for town supervisor this past year, Mr. Yastrzemski spoke often about his ties to the local community and his hands-on experience in village government.
Ms. Lofstad, who grew up in Hampton Bays, was an engineer at 1 World Trade Center who came home after September 11, 2001 to work on a commercial fishing business. She also helped start the Southampton and Hampton Bays farmers markets.
During her campaign this past year, Ms. Lofstad focused on environmental issues and supporting Southampton’s small businesses.
The winner of the race will finish out Mr. Bender’s term in office, which runs through the end of 2017.
Mr. Bender is facing charges of receiving phony prescriptions for oxycodone and illegally exchanging the oxycodone pills for cash and steroids, along with another co-conspirator.
