Fourth Candidate Signs Up for Smithtown Supervisor Race

If three is a crowd, then the race to be elected Town of Smithtown supervisor this November is packed as a fourth candidate had joined the field. 

Daniel Donnelly, former town highway superintendent, has submitted petitions to the board of elections for his his wife, Linda Donnelly, to become a Conservative candidate for Smithtown supervisor, Newsday reports. 

Smithtown Councilman Bob Creighton previously received the Conservative party's official endorsement in April.  

"I welcome her in the race," Creighton told Patch. 

Daniel Donnelly also submitted his daughter’s next-door neighbor, Kathleen DiBernardo, on the Conservative line for town council, and a political unknown, Thomas D. McCarthy, for highway superintendent on both the Conservative and Independent lines. 

"It’s just another jimmy-jam by Dan Donnelly,” said Smithtown GOP Chairman Bob Ellis to Newsday, adding that the substitution of McCarthy is especially egregious. “He’s doing it to create a mix-up with everybody, because now, there’s going to be two Tom McCarthys on the Conservative Party ballot.”

Councilman Thomas McCarthy is running for re-election to town board this November on both the Republican and Conservative lines. 

Creighton agreed with Ellis, saying Daniel Donnelly's move was simply aimed at "creating chaos" and in the end, would end up costing taxpayers more money. 

However, he will not ignore Linda Donnelly and has shifted his plans to campaign for both primaries. 

"I’m going to concentrate on both of them, I think it’s important to win them both," Creighton said. 

Read more on Newsday [subscription required] on the criticism of Daniel Donnely's political move.