Riverhead GOP nominate Kenneth Rothwell for town supervisor

The Riverhead Republicans committee unanimously voted to designate Councilman Kenneth Rothwell as its GOP candidate to run for town supervisor in November.

Due to recent law changes for even-year elections in New York, the Riverhead Town Supervisor seat will be up for election again — making the current 2026 term held by Jerry Halpin only one year.

The deadline for the Riverhead GOP’s screening was Jan. 23. Mr. Rothwell’s name was the only one discussed for the supervisor post at the nominating convention on Wednesday night at the Riverhead VFW.

Tammy Robinkoff, chairwoman of the Riverhead Republicans, confirmed Thursday that Mr. Rothwell received the committee’s full endorsement. She said the councilman “has proven his dedication to the Town of Riverhead and leadership serving as a councilman.”

Mr. Rothwell expressed his excitement to accept the nomination in an interview Thursday morning. He said the next step would be securing the support of the Suffolk GOP at its convention next week. The Republican councilman is also screening for the Suffolk County Conservative Party.

Any registered Republican who lives in Riverhead can still challenge Mr. Rothwell for the party nomination by collecting petition signatures to force a June primary election. Designating petitions can be circulated starting Feb. 24.

Just as he promised in his reelection campaign last year for a second-term on the Riverhead Town Board, Mr. Rothwell said 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.

“I think that the number one issue at stake is going to be what we can do to lower the cost of taxes — that’s the biggest concern for residents in town. That’s going to be our main focus going forth over this year,” Mr. Rothwell told the Riverhead News-Review. “How we can make each department within the town of Riverhead more self-sustaining, so that it takes the burden away from our taxpayers. That’s what needs to be our focus going forward.”

Mr. Rothwell was first appointed to the Riverhead Town Board in 2021 for a one-year term, filling the seat left vacant by Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio. He won a full four-year term in November 2021 and was reelected in 2025. He is a licensed funeral director and has served as a volunteer firefighter with the Wading River Fire Department for over 20 years.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin, who defeated his incumbent Tim Hubbard by a tight 37-vote margin in November, did not have a comment Thursday regarding Mr. Rothwell’s nomination.

He confirmed he will soon be making an announcement on his own reelection campaign.

Mr. Hubbard did not return a request for comment by press time.