Trish Bergin R

BACKGROUND

• Bergin, 54, of East Islip, a registered Republican, is seeking reelection on the Republican and Conservative lines. She has been on the county legislature since 2022 and previously served on the Islip Town Board for 12 years.
• Bergin received a bachelor's and master's degree from the New York Institute of Technology. Before entering politics, she worked as a television news anchor and reporter for local stations, including News12 and CBS.
• She works as a real estate agent in Bay Shore, where she sells residential and commercial properties.

ISSUES

• Bergin seeks to improve the county's Department of Social Services. She referenced the case of a 14-year-old Suffolk County girl who was sex trafficked earlier this year, saying "there is still room for improvement on cases where young girls are living in homes with inadequate parental supervision."
• She wants to ensure law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office have the tools they need to operate effectively. She cited the county's previous purchase of "shot spotter" gunshot detectors.
• Bergin said maintaining staffing levels at the Suffolk County Police Department would be another priority. She mentioned continuing to bring in "new classes" of officers and "doing some more retention work" to keep up with retirements.