The Democrats are Desperate, and Now They've Got Eugene Cook

An Important Message from Huntington Republican Party Chairman Tom McNally

Many of you may have received an invitation for an upcoming fundraiser from Friends of Eugene Cook in support of his run for Town Supervisor. To be clear, the only candidate endorsed by the Republican and Conservative Parties for Town of Huntington Supervisor is ED SMYTH.

First, Eugene Cook is NOT ENDORSED by the Republican Party nor by the Conservative Party for Town Supervisor. This fundraiser is specifically intended to finance his campaign for Town Supervisor against the Republican Party and Conservative Party candidate Ed Smyth.

Sadly, Eugene Cook has partnered with, and is being supported by, prominent Democratic Party leaders and operatives in his campaign for Town Supervisor. This is part of a Democrat scheme to siphon votes away from Ed Smyth and elect a liberal Democrat as Huntington’s next Town Supervisor. This is dirty politics and, unfortunately, the Democrats have co-opted Eugene Cook to be a part of it.

Any contribution to Eugene Cook’s campaign is money that will be directly spent against the endorsed Republican and Conservative candidate Ed Smyth.

Here are the facts:

1. The Huntington Democratic Party’s Vice Chair, along with other high-level Democratic Party operatives, collected hundreds of petition signatures to place Eugene Cook on the ballot for Town Supervisor.
2. A thorough analysis of these petitions established that almost 60% of Eugene Cook’s signatures were collected by Democratic Party operatives.
3. After a bipartisan review conducted by the Suffolk County Board of Elections, hundreds of Eugene Cook’s signatures were found to be improper and invalidated.
4. A lawsuit is pending to have Eugene Cook’s petitions thrown out by the court, because they are permeated with forgeries and fraud.

The Democrats are desperate. They are attempting to manipulate the process to overcome their weak candidate, Rebecca Sanin, and their failed record of higher taxes, overdevelopment and corrupt, insider deals paid for at the taxpayers’ expense. They know running Eugene Cook on a third-party ballot line is the only chance they have to defeat an accomplished leader like Ed Smyth.

We cannot allow the Democrats’ cynical ploy to succeed.

During Ed Smyth’s first term in office, the Town Board has held the line on property taxes, reformed town government and taken long overdue steps to protect our suburban quality of life. In November, I am confident that voters will easily see through the Democrats’ scheme and continue the progress achieved during the last four years by supporting ED SMYTH and his running mates—Sal Ferro, Dave Bennardo and Andre Sorrentino. Make no mistake, a vote for any other candidate is a vote for the liberal and corrupt Huntington Democratic Party.

Please join me in showing your support for Ed Smyth and our team of Republican Town candidates by signing up to volunteer and by making a contribution to help ensure a Republican Majority for four more years.

- Tom