Southampton Town Board Special Election Debate Set

Two candidates in a special election next month to fill an open Southampton Town Board seat are scheduled to face off in an online debate before voters hit the polls.

The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island, and the North Fork has scheduled a debate 7-8 p.m. on March 3 between Democrat John Leonard and Republican Rick Martel, who are running for the town board seat that was vacated when former Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni (D-Southampton) was elected to represent much of the East End in the New York State Assembly. The debate will be streamed on SEA-TV’s YouTube channel, where it can be viewed afterward for those who miss the livestream.

The special election is scheduled for March 18 with the 10-day early voting period running from March 8 to 16.

Leonard, who is also running on the Working Families Party line, is a longtime lawyer, co-founder of the affordable housing advocacy group known as the Hampton Bays Alliance, and member of the town zoning board of appeals.

Martel, who is also running on the Conservative Party line, is a former Southampton Town Board member who was ousted by Democrat Michael Iasilli in the 2023 elections.

Both men are from Hampton Bays. The winner will serve on a town board that currently has a Democratic majority. 

For registration information, polling locations and to check what time polling sites will be open, visit suffolkvotes.com For more information about the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and the North Fork, visit lwvsinf.org