County GOP, Conservatives Back Carpenter in County Exec Run

Suffolk County Republicans on Wednesday chose Angie Carpenter as their candidate for Suffolk County executive, setting the stage for a showdown between the Suffolk treasurer and the, in November.

Both vie for the county's highest elected office, a position held by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy - - for eight years.

While Bellone had screened with the County Conservative Party, Conservative Chairman Ed Walsh was on stage at the event with GOP Chairman John Jay LaValle to welcome Carpenter.

More than one speaker on Wednesday night – including Carpenter – touted the strength they are hoping a Republican-Conservative bloc could hold over county Democrats.

"When we partner with the Conservative Party, we are over-the-top invincible," said Carpenter, a former county legislator, to the crowd of roughly 300 at the Hauppauge Sheraton. "There is not going to be any on-the-job training here. Because my experience in the legislature taught me one branch of government can't do it alone."

A long-time West Islip resident, Carpenter has spent nearly 20 years serving in county government: 13 years in the legislature and the past six years as treasurer.

LaValle and Walsh both said Carpenter's nomination was not set in stone until Wednesday. 

"We’ve been weighing the whole process out. It just all came together today," said Walsh. "The process was a little longer than I would have liked it to be. In a perfect world, it would have been quicker. But you sometimes can’t control everything."

Randy Altschuler, a businessman and last year's congressional candidate in the first congressional district, recently withdrew his name from the nomination process, saying he would  for his congressional seat. Altschuler narrowly lost his first campaign against Bishop in the 2010 election.

Leaving Carpenter and Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick, R-St. James, as the only two remaining Republicans who had screened for the county exec seat, the nod was given to Carpenter. Fitzpatrick said he drove down from Albany after receiving the call to nominate her at Wednesday's convention.

"We have representatives on the federal level, state level, county level, and town level," said LaValle following the convention on Wednesday. "We have to spread out the talent. I'm fortunate to be the chairman of a party with plenty of talent."

Should Carpenter win the county executive race, she would be the first female county executive in the history of Suffolk County.

The following candidates were nominated for their respective legislative district races: 

1. Ed Romaine
2. Cornelius Kelly
3. Susan Sineo
4. Thomas Muratore
5. No candidate
6. Karen Wilutis
7. John Giannott
8. Anthony C. Musumeci
9. No candidate
10. Tom Cilmi
11. Thomas Barraga
12. John M. Kennedy, Jr.
13. Lynne Nowick
14. No candidate
15. No candidate
16. Debra Poulos
17. Dennis Garitano
18. Elizabeth Black