Riverhead independent Kimberly Wilder challenges Jodi Giglio in 2nd Assembly District

Two East End candidates are looking to shake up the establishment this November, but only one of their names will appear on the ballot.

Riverhead resident Kimberly Wilder, an independent, is running on the Voter Options line for state Assembly, while Cutchogue attorney Abigail Field is mounting a Democratic-backed write-in bid for Suffolk County clerk.

Ms. Wilder — a local educator, mother and self-proclaimed “electoral activist” — is challenging Republican incumbent Jodi Giglio for the 2nd Assembly District seat.

She said her campaign aims to give voters a progressive alternative. Michael Szika of Manorville is listed as the Democratic candidate in the race, but did not respond to Riverhead News-Review’s request for comment or invitation for an interview.

“He’s what’s called a ‘no hope’ candidate, or paper candidate,” Ms. Wilder claimed during a wide-ranging interview.

Ms. Wilder has a diverse professional background, including roles as a teacher, teaching assistant and coordinator for PeaceSmiths Inc., a Long Island-based peace, justice and environmental advocacy organization.

She is the founder and coordinator of Riverhead RASI, or Riverhead Area School Info — a parent and school community network focused on district news, school board watch and educational advocacy. She ran for the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education in 2023.

Ms. Wilder said her top priority if elected will be tackling “data colonialism” — the exploitation of people’s data by corporations, including through artificial intelligence.

She also supports OLA Eastern Long Island’s proposed public safety legislation, saying communities should plan how to protect residents — especially children — during and after ICE raids. Ultimately, she said she would like to see the federal agency abolished or significantly reformed.

“I’m astounded that anybody could so reject the OLA legislation because it is put in place to help our community, and mostly our children,” she said. “I always want a government to help vulnerable people and children.”

On housing, Ms. Wilder supports allowing accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to expand options for seniors and people with disabilities. She said state zoning changes could allow separate living spaces in basements, attics or backyards.

She also supports environmental groups focused on the Brookhaven landfill, which is expected to close in the next two years, and said she favors balanced land use that preserves farms.

“I’m glad that I can offer an independent choice and a progressive voice to help the community,” Ms. Wilder said. “I believe that by being a little bit of an outsider and filling in the holes where they leave holes in our democracy, that I can make things better for everybody.”

Also running next month — but not on the ballot — Ms. Field, who is taking on incumbent Suffolk County clerk Vincent Puleo.

Ms. Field said she believes the office has been mismanaged under Mr. Puleo. She said a backlog of deeds would be her first priority to address if elected, claiming that delays can increase the risk of deed theft.

“I’m running to give voters a choice for a competent public servant who’s dedicated to making the clerk’s office run really well,” she told Riverhead News-Review.

Another priority would be overhauling the county clerk’s website, a goal she also pursued in her failed bid to unseat Southold Town Clerk Denis Noncarrow as the Democratic candidate last year.

“It’s important. This is how you communicate with the public,” she said. “But the county site is worse than the town site.”

Ms. Field said the website’s forms are available only in English and cited outdated announcements, including one about a fee that began in 2021.

She also wants to set up pop-up clerk’s offices to “bring the services closer to people.”

Ms. Field said running as a write-in has made her month-old campaign feel more personal.

“The fact that we have penetrated as much as we have and raised the profile as much as we have is because everybody’s really upset with what they are being offered,” she said.

Ms. Field earned a law degree from New York University in 2001. She has worked as an attorney and served for nearly two years as part-time recording secretary for the Mattituck Park District.

“If people choose me, they can get county government that actually works,” she said.