Some results from east end elections yesterday include the race for south fork Suffolk County Legislator, 2nd District, where incumbent Democrat Ann E. Welker won reelection with nearly 70 percent of the votes.

In Southampton, Democratic Town Board candidate Tom Neely was the top vote-getter, followed by incumbent Republican Cyndi McNamara, in the three-way race for two seats. Incumbent Councilman Rick Martel will not return to the board. Democratic Town Supervisor Maria Moore was reelected, running unopposed. Overall turnout for the vote was low, with fewer than 12,000 voters casting ballots during early voting, with mail-in absentee ballots and at the polls on Tuesday. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that in the most stunning results of the night, all five Democratic candidates for the Southampton Town Trustees cruised to easy victories over the five Republican candidates, unseating veteran incumbents Edward Warner Jr. and Scott Horowitz and Trustee Chip Maran. Warner Jr. is the longest serving member of the board, elected in 2005 to succeeded his father, who served as a Town Trustee for more than 30 years.

In East Hampton, Democratic Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez won, running unopposed, along with her town board running mates Ian Calder-Piedmonte and Cate Rogers. The 4 Trustee seats in East Hampton Town were also won by Democrats.

On the north fork in the Suffolk County Legislator race in the First Legislative District, Democrat Greg Doroski won an upset victory over Republican incumbent Catherine Stark, 52.09% to 47.88%, 11,219 votes to 10,311votes, according to the unofficial results.

Incumbent Southold Town Councilman Brian Mealy has been declared a winner by NEWSDAY.

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Suffolk County voters approved a referendum yesterday to extend the length of terms for county legislators from two to four years in a rebuke to the state shifting local elections to even years. Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that winners in the Suffolk races will serve a truncated three-year term and can run for reelection in 2028. If the referendum, Proposition 2, had failed, they would have had to run again in 2026, essentially restarting the campaign shortly after being sworn into office in January.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine signed the Term Limit Preservation Act in July after it was passed with bipartisan support through the legislature, allowing the measure to appear on the Election Day ballot.

The proposition also changes the county’s 12-year term limit law to allow a legislator who reaches a 12th year in the middle of a term to be extended. For example, Legis. Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), who won Tuesday, reaches her 12th year in 2027. Kennedy can continue to serve through 2028.

Republicans, in campaign materials, have urged voters to pass the proposition. Mailers from the Suffolk County GOP Committee said "Vote yes to term limits," although the proposition does not change the current 12-year term limits.

The Suffolk Democratic Party did not mention the proposition in campaign materials, according to campaign manager Keith Davies.

Suffolk Democratic chairman Rich Schaffer said late yesterday that Democrats planned to challenge the legality of the referendum in an effort to invalidate it.

"I believe that it will be found unconstitutional, and that then the races would have to be run again next year," Schaffer said.

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With all 22 Riverhead election districts reporting, a political newcomer, Democrat Jerry Halpin, a local church pastor, leads incumbent Republican Supervisor Tim Hubbard by a razor thin margin in the race for Riverhead Town supervisor. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Halpin leads Hubbard by just 21 votes out of 7,761 votes cast, 3,891 to 3,870, according to unofficial results published by the Suffolk County Board of Elections early. this...