Village Election Results 2024: West Hampton Dunes Mayor Among 6 Hamptons Incumbents Unseated

The founding mayor of West Hampton Dunes, who is the longest currently serving village mayor on Long Island, was one of six incumbents unseated in three of seven recent Hamptons village elections.

Irwin Krasnow unseated West Hampton Dunes Village Mayor Gary Vegliante, who has led the village for three decades, by a margin of 159 to 104 votes and two trustees were unseated in that race. Southampton Village Deputy Mayor Gina Arresta lost her seat after four years on the board. And two challengers unseated a pair of incumbent trustees in the Village of Sagaponack.

“My heart is Westhampton, even though my financial interests are not,” said Krasnow, a commercial real estate agent, entrepreneur, village zoning board member, community advocate and economic development consultant for the Town of Oyster Bay and City of Long Beach. “I felt that there were some injustices going on in the village and there were a lot of conflicts of interest and people were scared of retribution … I said, ‘Hey, I can complain about it or I can step up to the plate and change it.’”

Vegliante has led the village as mayor since 1994, shortly after West Hampton Dunes was founded. He is the only mayor the 31-year-old municipality has ever known. He had only faced one other challenger during his time in office and consistently ran unopposed for re-election.

What was a three-way race for mayor between Krasnow, Vegliante and West Hampton Dunes Deputy Mayor Gary Trimarchi turned into a two-way race after Trimarchi stepped down from the race to remain as Trustee and Deputy Mayor. Trimarchi endorsed Krasnow after he removed himself from the race.

“Together, our team recognized a shared vision: an unwavering commitment to transparency, environmental protection, and effective governance and a commitment to integrity and conflict of interest-free ethical leadership,” Trimarchi’s Improve the Dunes Party wrote in a joint statement with Krasnow’s Clean Slate Party.

Vegliante’s running mates on the Beach Preservation Party line, incumbent trustees Harvey Gessin and Michael Craig, were also unseated by two challengers, Krasnow-aligned trustees candidates Regina Mulhearn and Howard Freedman. West Hampton Dunes Village Justice Adam Gomerman ran unopposed for re-election.

Krasnow’s priorities as mayor include more transparency and disclosure by the village government and village officials. The first items on his agenda will be setting up an ethics board, introducing financial disclosure for village officials and employees, the village budget and addressing the flooding issue on the western portion of Dune Road and the bay erosion. He also plans to move village hall out of Westhampton Beach and move it back into the village.

“What’s most important is we need more transparency in government and we can’t have conflicts of interest,” he said. “From there we will see what other improvements we can do in the village to help the community.”

SOUTHAMPTON AND SAGAPONACK UPSETS

The West Hampton Dunes race was one of five South Fork village elections held on June 21. None of the other simultaneous mayoral elections were contested, but three other incumbents were ousted in two additional villages.

Voters in the Village of Southampton elected only one of the two incumbents. Southampton Village Deputy Mayor Gina Arresta lost her seat after four years on the board.

Trustee candidate Edward Simone unseated Arresta and incumbent Trustee Leonard Zinnanti fended off challenger Josh Belery, according to unofficial results released by the village. Southampton Village Justice Linda Riley ran unopposed for re-election.

In the Village of Sagaponack, incumbent trustees Marilyn Clark and Lisa Duryea Thayer lost their seats to challengers David G. McMillan Jr. and Mark Landis, who won with 76 and 68 votes each, respectively. Sagaponack Village Mayor William F. Tillotson ran uncontested for re-election.

INCUMBENTS RE-ELECTED

In two additional Hamptons village elections on June 18, voters re-elected their current leaders.

North Haven Village Mayor Chris Fiore easily won his second term, defeating challenger Barbara Roberts handily when Fiore garnered 258 votes over Roberts’ 122 votes. Village trustees Diane Skilbred and Claas Abraham were also re-elected.

“Elated,” was how Fiore described the feeling of winning. “I ran on the right of quiet enjoyment. We want to reinforce the solitude of our residents.”

In the Village of Sag Harbor, trustees Jeanne Kaye and Ed Kane beat challengers Mary Ann Eddy and Ronald Reed. Two hours after the polls closed, it was announced that Kaye was the top vote getter with 239 votes, with Kane placing second with 237 votes. Eddy and Reed received 204 and 108 votes, respectively.

UNCONTESTED RACES

In the other two village elections on June 21, incumbents were re-elected without facing opposition.

In the Village of Westhampton Beach, Ralph Urban was returned to office as mayor with 42 votes. Urban was appointed to the position by the Board of Trustees to fill the vacancy after former Westhampton Beach mayor Maria Moore was elected to higher office as

Southampton town supervisor.

Kimberley Monsour was elected as trustee with 52 votes and Christopher Mensch was elected as trustee with 45 votes. Monsour was appointed in January to fill a vacancy created by Urban’s ascension to mayor while Mensch is a newcomer to the board.

Also on June 21, Quogue Mayor Robert Treuhold was re-elected alongside incumbent trustees Sally Beatty and Thomas Mullen Jr.

The races were among three Hamptons village elections this month with no challengers at all.

East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, Deputy Mayor Christopher Minardi and Trustee Sandra Melendez are running unopposed for re-election on June 25.

RECENT ELECTION

In the Village of Dering Harbor, voters cast their ballots on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

In that race Ari Benacerraf was elected mayor to replace outgoing Mayor Karen Kelsey. Trustees Brad Goldfarb and Sam Ashner were re-elected and Eric Deutsch was elected to the open trustee seat vacated by Patrick Parcells. All ran unopposed.

The 10th East End village, Greenport, traditionally holds its elections in March.

-With Timothy Bolger