Government

Tammy Robinkoff elected new leader of Riverhead GOP Committee

The Riverhead Town Republican Committee will go into this fall’s elections with a new leader.

Tammy Robinkoff was elected to a two-year term as committee chairperson Wednesday night at the Riverhead Elks Lodge. She was unopposed.

She has been a purchasing agent for the Suffolk County Board of Elections since 2008 and worked as a title examiner prior to that. She’s been a member of the Riverhead Republican committee for 10 years and most recently was its treasurer.

“I’ve served as the treasurer for three different [Republican] leaders in the past,” Ms. Robinkoff said. “I’m very active in the committee and I’m looking forward to running a clean campaign. I think every candidate should be judged by the voters.”

She said she’s learned a lot from her time on the committee and feels “it’s time for a fresh face.”

Her predecessor, Remy Bell, opted not to seek reelection, citing some health issues. He took over as chairman in 2015, a year when the committee had nominated Councilwoman Jodi Giglio for supervisor, instead of incumbent Republican Supervisor Sean Walter.

While Ms. Giglio won a Republican primary against Mr. Walter that September, Mr. Walter still retained the Conservative party line and ended up defeating both Ms. Giglio and Democratic candidate Tony Coates — who was Mr. Walter’s former campaign advisor — in the November election.

This year’s election should be less complicated.

Mr. Walter is running for reelection on the Republican and Conservative lines against Laura Jens-Smith, who is running on the Democratic, Independence, Working Families and Women’s Equality lines.

Councilman John Dunleavy, who was term-limited out of running for reelection to that position, had sought to run for supervisor on the Libertarian line, but a state Supreme Court judge bounced him off the November ballot due to errors in his nominating petitions.

For the two council seats up for reelection, Ms. Giglio and newcomer Frank Beyrodt will run on the Republican and Conservative lines, while Catherine Kent and Michele Lynch will run on the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality lines.

The Independence Party backed Ms. Giglio and Ms. Kent.

Photo caption: Tammy Robinkoff replaces Remy Bell as the town GOP committee chairperson. (Credit: courtesy photo)

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