Cook Wins GOP Nomination; Naughton Defeats 2 Challengers

By Pam Robinson

Republican candidates easily disposed of challengers in primary voting Tuesday night, with Gene Cook, Josh Price and  Mark Mayoka all headed for the November ballot.

Democrat William Naughton defeated two opponents, Don McKay and Kevin Orelli, for the highway superintendent's job he was first elected to in 1987. 

Cook won the nomination for town supervisor and will face Democratic Town Supervisor Frank Petrone, who defeated minimal opposition on the Working Families Party line. Democrats Town Councilman Mark Cuthbertson and  Tracey Edwards defeated Rich Hall for the Working Families Party nod.

Cook was challenged on two lines, on the party line by fellow Republican Robert A. Lifson and on the Independence line by Harry Acker. 

Mayoka, a member of the town board, and Price, a newcomer, were both endorsed by their party, but challenged by Mark Capodanno. 

Republicans exulted in their clear victories over opponents who are members of the same party but chose to run against the endorsed candidates. Suffolk County Republican chairman John LaValle and other party leaders showed up in Huntington to praise and congratulate Huntington chairwoman Toni Tepe and others.

"You're cheering now and you're going to be cheering on Nov. 5," he said. "You're picking the right candidates."  Pointing to Cook, Mayoka and Price, LaValle said, "This is a group that is going to run government the way it should be run."

Mayoka pledged to stick to fiscal conservatism and end "wasteful spending. And we're going to revitalize Huntington Station finally and not talk about it for 40 years."

Tepe congratulated the party faithful who had handled petitions, made calls and more to help defeat Lifson, who was described as a "Democrat in Republican clothing." 

She said, "The voters don't like the party raiding the Democrats attempted." His candidacy and that of Capodanno were widely seen by Republicans as Democratic attempts to undermine the endorsed candidates.
 
Patch will have updates later on final vote totals.