News

Smyth to Seek Re-Election as Town Supervisor; Bennardo and Sorrentino Also Running for Re-Election; Grizopoulos Joins Slate for Town Council

Huntington Republican Committee Chairman Thomas McNally has announced the party’s slate of endorsed candidates for the 2025 election.

Town Supervisor Ed Smyth Seeks Re-Election

Ed Smyth, first elected Town Supervisor in 2021, is seeking another term to continue his leadership. Under Smyth’s administration, Huntington has maintained its AAA bond rating, kept budget surpluses, and controlled spending while investing in infrastructure and downtown revitalization.

A lifelong Huntington resident, Marine veteran, and attorney, Smyth has championed government reform, enacting term limits and stronger ethics laws, while fighting against overdevelopment and keeping property taxes in check.

“Ed Smyth is a proven leader with a clear vision for Huntington’s future,” said McNally. “His record speaks for itself, and he’s the right person to continue leading our town.”

“I’m honored to have the committee’s support,” said Smyth. “We’ve made great progress, and I look forward to building on our achievements.”

Bennardo and Sorrentino Run for Re-Election; Grizopoulos Joins the Ticket

Dr. David Bennardo, a former school superintendent, is running for re-election to the Town Council, where he has prioritized quality-of-life improvements, environmental protections, and fiscal responsibility.

Andre Sorrentino is seeking another term as Highway Superintendent, continuing his work on road maintenance, beautification projects, and community service initiatives.

Greg Grizopoulos, an attorney and former Assistant District Attorney, has been nominated for Town Council, replacing Sal Ferro.

“We’ve accomplished a lot in the past four years,” McNally said. “With Greg joining our slate and with the foundation that Sal has helped build, our team is stronger than ever.”

2025 Town of Huntington Republican Candidates

	Hon. Ed Smyth – Town Supervisor Hon. Edmund J.M. Smyth was elected Town Supervisor in 2021. Under his leadership, Huntington’s bond rating was upgraded to AAA by Fitch, while Moody’s maintained the town’s AAA rating for the 10th consecutive year, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. He also passed a budget below the mandated tax cap for the eighth consecutive year. Smyth spearheaded technological upgrades to the building department, improved the permitting process, and oversaw major revitalization projects, including the reconstruction of Al Walker Park and a $1.5 million playground installation at Heckscher Park. Before serving as Supervisor, he was elected to the Town Board in 2017, becoming part of the first Republican majority in a quarter-century. During that time, he enacted term limits, strengthened ethics laws, increased government transparency, fought overdevelopment, preserved open space, and worked to reduce taxpayer burdens. A lifelong Huntington resident, Marine veteran, and attorney, Smyth has deep ties to the community. He and his wife, Coriander, are raising their four children in Huntington.
	Dr. David Bennardo – Councilman Dr. Dave Bennardo has lived in Huntington for over 25 years and has dedicated his career to education, serving as both a high school principal and the superintendent of South Huntington Schools. Since joining the Town Council in 2021, he has prioritized bipartisan leadership and community-focused decision-making. His efforts include improving drinking water quality, protecting beaches and shorelines, enhancing parks, and ensuring record road paving. A firm believer in fiscal responsibility, he has played a key role in maintaining Huntington’s AAA bond rating through tax cap-compliant budgeting. Bennardo is known for his accessibility and engagement with residents, welcoming input from all corners of the town. He encourages community feedback and can be reached at (631) 351-3172 or [email protected].
	Greg Grizopoulos – Candidate for Councilman Greg Grizopoulos is focused on fiscal responsibility, keeping our community safe, promoting integrity and transparency in government, progress but no overdevelopment and preserving Huntington’s suburban character and quality of life. A former Assistant District Attorney, Grizopoulos prosecuted violent crimes and serious felonies, gaining extensive experience in law enforcement and public safety. He also served as Nassau County’s Stop-DWI Special Prosecutor and has trained officers in alcohol breath testing, highway safety, and accident reconstruction. Grizopoulos is a partner at the law firm Grizopoulos & Portz, P.C., handling matters in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. He and his wife reside in Melville, where they are raising their three children.
	Andre Sorrentino – Superintendent of Highways Andre Sorrentino, Jr. was elected in 2021 and is a lifelong Huntington resident. He owns Professional Automotive Services and Sorrentino Trucking while also serving as Director of General Services for the Town of Huntington and as a Huntington Fire Commissioner. During his first term as Highway Superintendent, Sorrentino oversaw the paving of a record number of miles of roadway — more than double that of any prior superintendent. He has led major beautification projects, infrastructure improvements, and neighborhood revitalization efforts, ensuring roads remain safe and well-maintained. Sorrentino has also spearheaded cost-saving initiatives like LED lighting installations at town facilities and has overseen major renovations at the Town Senior Center and Veterans Plaza. Committed to giving back, he founded the Sorrentino Family Turkey Drive, which donates thousands of Thanksgiving turkeys to local families each year. Sorrentino lives in Huntington with his wife, Kim, and their two young daughters.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 4th Annual Football Brunch on February 2 at Off Broadway Pub in Greenlawn. It was a great event supporting the Huntington Republican Committee, with special guests including Suffolk County and Brookhaven Town Republican Committee Chairman Jesse Garcia, NYS Senator Mario Mattera, Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey, Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi, Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth, Smithtown Town Republican Committee Chairman Bill Ellis, and Babylon Town Republican Committee Chairman Joe Barone. Your support and participation are truly appreciated!

From left: Huntington GOP Chairman Tom McNally, Mike LiPetri (Candidate for 3rd Congressional District), Keith P. Brown (Candidate for 12th Assembly District), Mario Mattera (Candidate for New York State Senate District 2), Aamir Sultan (Candidate for 10th Assembly District), and Jim Leonic (Huntington GOP Vice Chairman) at the Huntington GOP's successful Lit Blitz event.

Our first Lit Blitz held on September 21st at Huntington GOP was a tremendous success! We want to thank everyone who came out to support our exceptional candidates. Volunteers distributed walking lists, campaign literature, t-shirts, and buttons, helping spread the word about our candidates and their plans for the community.

Huntington Town Republican Committee Chairman Tom McNally is pictured placing a worn American flag in the Huntington GOP Committee’s drop-off bin.

The Huntington Republican Committee is inviting town residents to bring their retired American flags to the Huntington GOP office, located at 229 Main Street, Suite 204 in Huntington. Flags will be collected from May 20 to July 15.

Flags that have been worn-out, frayed, torn or soiled can be placed in a drop-off bin at the Huntington GOP office, where it will be properly retired. According to the U.S. Flag Code, when the flag is “in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display,” it is recommended that the flag be “destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

With Memorial Day, Flag Day and July 4th approaching, many are proudly displaying their flags and, in many cases, replacing their old flags. It’s an ideal time of the year to collect and properly retire any worn flags.

“We encourage residents to drop off their American flags that can no longer be considered fit for display,” said Tom McNally, Chairman, Huntington Republican Committee. “We will personally see to it that these flags will be retired in a proper and respectful manner.”

Statement from Thomas McNally, Huntington Republican Committee Chairman

On behalf of the Town of Huntington Republican Committee, representing over 45,000 registered Republican voters in our Town, I am writing to voice support for the efforts of the Town Board, led by Supervisor Ed Smyth and Town Board Member Sal Ferro, to introduce the first steps of an ambitious concept to create a walkable downtown with mixed-use development in Melville. 

The Huntington Republican Committee has long recognized the need to create a community-minded action plan for development and redevelopment along the Route 110 corridor to keep the Town a competitive location for businesses, while at the same time, protecting the exceptional quality of life in Huntington.  In fact, a fundamental component of the Huntington Republican Committee’s platform is to ensure the preservation of Huntington’s suburban quality of life, and this continues to be a top priority of the committee and the Republican administration.  The Huntington Republican Committee, and all our elected officials and candidates, are strongly committed to this foundational belief. 

The initiative currently being proposed by the Town Board addresses the long overdue need to revitalize Melville and will benefit not only the citizens of Melville and the Town of Huntington, but also the entire Long Island region.  We believe the concept being proposed, if properly executed, will stimulate economic growth and will attract much-needed private investment in the form of high-paying jobs, upgraded infrastructure and increased housing options for our youth and our older population who are desirous of downsizing.

The proposal incorporates input and ideas obtained from numerous listening sessions and breakout meetings with members of the Melville community, including many of the Melville and Dix Hills Civic associations, the Melville Fire Department, first responders, veterans, the Half Hollow Hills School District and the commercial property owners in the affected area. In fact, the original resolution introduced by the Town Board has already been amended to address concerns voiced by one of the local civic associations.   

We applaud the Town Board for moving this proposition forward in a thoughtful and transparent way to ensure that the taxpayers of Huntington have ample time to ask questions about the project and to let their voices be heard.  Three separate public hearings have been scheduled to facilitate open dialogue and debate.  We urge all citizens to attend these hearings to learn more about the proposal and to voice their opinions.  The first public hearing was held on April 30, 2024 at the West Hollow Middle School and can be viewed on the Town’s website, along with information about the resolutions being considered.  The next public hearings will be held on:

• May 7, 2024, Town Board meeting, Huntington Town Hall, at 2:00 PM
• June 11, 2024, Town Board meeting, Huntington Town Hall, at 7:00 PM

There have been numerous articles and social media postings published recently about this initiative that are misleading and untrue.  Please take advantage of the opportunity to learn the facts by participating in the public hearings, reviewing the materials published on the Town’s website or by reaching out directly to the Town Board members.  

Please join me in supporting the Huntington Town Board as they undertake the hard work of moving the Melville Town Centre initiative forward to ensure that the Town of Huntington remains a beautiful place to live, work and raise our families for generations to come.