By Alex H. Nagler
Election season is not over. With Brian Foley’s (D.) victory over Caesar Trunzo (R.) in the State Senate election, the position of Brookhaven Town Supervisor is now up for grabs. A special election has been called for March 31 to decide the next Town Supervisor. Competing for the job is Democrat Mark Lesko and Republican Tim Mazzei.
Tim Mazzei is a councilman from Brookhaven’s Fifth District (Stony Brook resides in the First). He is a former Suffolk County District Attorney and Chief of the Homicide Division. He is also head of the Brookhaven Republican Party.
Mark Lesko is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. He lead the government’s case in the Muttontown Slave Trial, which received national attention, and the Lawrence Aviation case to arrest polluters in Port Jefferson Station.
The Town Supervisor is a job akin to the mayor of New York City. They oversee the Council, but unlike the mayor, they have one vote along with the rest of the council. They also service as Brookhaven’s ombuds, making them also akin to New York City’s Public Advocate.
The election of Town Supervisor is an election that Stony Brook students can and should vote in. It has been said by some that students have no place in voting in this specific election, that it is the job of the town and the town alone to decide their next supervisor. This is false. Students who live on-campus live in this community, too. We drive on town roads, frequent local shops, and contribute to the economy merely by being here. It is our right to vote.
As a reminder, the Brookhaven Supervisor Election is March 31. Students will be able to vote in the Student Activity’s Center.
