Halpin, Rothwell to square off in three Riverhead forums ahead of supervisor election
Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin and challenger Ken Rothwell will make their case to voters at three civic-sponsored candidate forums ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The candidates will answer pre-submitted questions about town issues and their priorities for Riverhead’s future.
“This is a valuable opportunity for Riverhead voters to meet the candidates at times and locations that work best for them, and for the residents to hear firsthand what each candidate has to say about the issues,” said Cindy Clifford, president of the Heart of Riverhead Civic Association, one of four civic organizations behind the forums.
The three forums will give residents in the western, central and eastern parts of town opportunities to hear from the candidates. Questions may be submitted to the sponsoring civic groups in advance.
Mr. Halpin, a longtime pastor, stunned the electorate last November by unseating Republican incumbent Tim Hubbard by just 37 votes. He must run again this year because of a state law moving most local elections to even-numbered years.
Last month, Mr. Halpin unveiled a 2027 tentative budget that would stay below the tax cap for the first time in five years. He had cited the 7.89% increase in the 2025 town budget — the town’s largest since the state cap was enacted in 2012 — as his motivation to run for public office last year.
Mr. Rothwell, a Republican, easily won reelection to the Town Board last November. Should he fail to win the supervisor race, Mr. Rothwell will remain on the board.
He wants to focus on issues such as clean water access for residents, expanding programs for veterans, continuing to support local police and first responders, and attracting high-tech developments that can bring in a more sustainable tax base.
The schedule for the three forums is:
Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m.: The Greater Calverton and Wading River civic associations will host the event at Riley Avenue School, 374 Riley Ave., Calverton. Questions may be emailed to [email protected] by Sunday, Oct. 11.
Saturday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m.: The Greater Jamesport Civic Association will host the forum at the Jamesport Meeting House, 1590 Main Road, Jamesport. Parking is available at the George Young Community Center on the south side of Main Road. Questions may be emailed to [email protected].
Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m.: The Heart of Riverhead Civic Association will host the final faceoff at the Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court St. Questions may be emailed to [email protected] by Monday, Oct. 19.
The full slate of forums would mark a change from last year’s campaign. Mr. Rothwell joined Mr. Hubbard and Councilman Bob Kern in skipping the Greater Jamesport and Heart of Riverhead candidate events, arguing that Democratic Party ties held by leaders of the organizing groups raised concerns about bias.
The Republicans attended only the final forum, sponsored by Greater Calverton and Wading River.
