Carpenter to Run for County Executive

Just days after Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy , the county treasurer, Angie Carpenter, is set to declare her candidacy for the position.

Carpenter’s announcement, scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at the La Grange Inn in West Islip, makes her the first prominent Republican to throw her hat in the ring for county executive.

As previously reported by Patch, Levy had been under investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office over his campaign fundraising methods. Following his stunning decision not to run for another term, Levy turned over his $4 million war chest to the DA’s office.

Carpenter said that her decision to run was not made in haste.

“I was seriously considering running a primary (against Levy),” she told Patch in an interview on Monday. “I was not pleased with the direction of where he was going with the county.”

A long-time West Islip resident, Carpenter has spent nearly 20 years serving in county government: 13 years in the legislature and the past six years as treasurer.

“No one knows county government better than I do,” she said. “I’ve had the pleasure of serving in the legislature, been deputy presiding officer and as treasurer know where the county stands financially.”

While she had held countywide office the past six years, the challenge facing Carpenter, besides embarking on fundraising efforts, will be boosting her name recognition with voters across Suffolk.

Also unclear is whether any other Republicans may decide to run for county executive, something that could be costly for each candidate and might also split the Suffolk GOP.

While Carpenter had been rumored to be a possible GOP candidate for county executive, other prominent Republican names, including County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki and state Sen. John Flanagan, R-Northport, have been rumored to be contemplating a run as well.

Whoever wins the GOP nomination would likely face Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone, a Democrat, in November. While Bellone has not officially declared his candidacy, he is currently on a “listening tour” around Suffolk County and many political insiders expect his name to be on the ballot this fall.