Battle for control of Suffolk Democratic Party triggers higher number of races for county committee

The fight for control of the Suffolk County Democratic Party has spawned dozens of committee primaries that may help determine the balance of power and direction of the party.

More than 80 Democratic primaries for committee positions will be decided Tuesday across six Suffolk towns with many supporting either longtime party leader Rich Schaffer or challenger Kathryn Casey Quigley, chair of the Southold Town Democratic Committee. The races represent a substantial increase compared with most years that see only a handful of committee positions up for grabs.

In the months leading up to the primary, both sides have sought to boost the number of committee members in hopes of bolstering their fortunes, attracting supporters to run for the volunteer posts. Committee members play key roles in circulating petitions for their preferred candidates, canvassing for those running for elected office, and helping fundraise for candidates and register more members to the party. The outcome will likely influence who Suffolk Democrats will promote to run for public office, reflecting party positions from those in leadership. 

At its core, the races could determine who wins the party's top leadership post.

The fight has pitted reform-minded Suffolk Democrats who argue the party has become too centralized, too reliant on cross-endorsement deals with conservatives and too disconnected from grassroots organizing against those who credit Schaffer with building a stable local Democratic organization in New York.

Over the years, however, Democrats have lost power on the county level, with the executive and legislative chambers now controlled by Republicans. It's those losses that are among the reasons Casey Quigley decided to run for the party's top post.

Casey Quigley has said her campaign is about rebuilding the party to end conservative party deals, eliminating so-called "paper candidates" (someone on the ballot who does not actively campaign) and helping build town committees at the grassroots level to support candidates. Schaffer has said he's been fighting for Democratic values since he was 14 and remains committed to growing a party that advocates for affordability, environmental protections and public safety. 

Both camps have already established a base of supporters through the petitioning process, where candidates collected the required signatures needed to become a committee member.

The primary races are held in election districts with more than two candidates. The winner of each committee race goes on to become an official county committee member ahead of a September vote for the party's chair.

“I'm excited that there's so much enthusiasm to be involved in the Democratic Party,” said Schaffer, who doubles as the Babylon Town Supervisor and chairman of the Babylon Democratic Committee.

Schaffer downplayed the importance of the primaries, however, saying he believes he already has enough support among the committee members who have been certified by the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

“She’s already lost,” he said of his challenger. “That will be clear on the night that we have the organizational meeting sometime in September.”

Casey Quigley, however, disputed the assertion that the outcome is settled.

“I’m tracking every election district and the score in every election district, and it’s looking like a close race,” she said.

Surge in races

Most primary elections in recent years feature only a handful of races for committee positions.

Former Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, a longtime fixture in county Democratic politics, said “usually it's pulling teeth to try to get people to serve on the committee.”

Schneiderman said he was surprised to find himself in a primary for an election district in Southampton Town.

“I don't remember ever having to vote in a committee primary,” he said, adding that voters who participate in those elections tend to be “people who are very involved in the political process.”

Democratic voters will be casting ballots in the primary for state comptroller and the 1st Congressional District and 3rd Congressional District, which includes only a small portion of Suffolk County.

Nine days of early voting began June 13 and end Sunday ahead of Tuesday's primary.

A similar surge in committee primary races occurred in 2018 when there was a leadership challenge for the Suffolk Conservative Committee. The September 2018 primary featured dozens of contested races for party positions. Two weeks later, Frank Tinari, the party chairman, was reelected at a county convention attended by more than 800 Conservative committee members, Newsday reported at the time.

Party direction

Casey Quigley said regardless of the party chair outcome she hopes Schaffer can outline "what his plan is for supporting that new energy in the party."

Schaffer said he hasn’t changed his approach on guiding the party.

"I have no problem speaking to people individually and incorporating their thoughts," he said. "That's how I've done it for years and I will continue to do it that way."

Schaffer said after Tuesday, he and Casey Quigley, as well as all their supporters, "need to get back to electing these Democrats."