We Mark Our Ballot: Suffolk County Executive

In the race for Suffolk County executive, voters this year are given a choice between ineradicable experience and calls for new ideas.

Seeking to replace Democrat Steve Bellone, who was prevented from running for reelection due to term limits, are Republican Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, a former teacher and a career politician who has held office at the town and county level for four decades, and Democrat Dave Calone, a former federal and state prosecutor who is currently the CEO of a private equity firm. Calone has never served in elected office but has served in several appointed roles.

Both are strong candidates and well-positioned to serve the residents of Suffolk County. While The Express News Group’s Editorial Board was unable to interview either candidate in person, profiles written about the two, various media reports and their campaign platforms make it clear that in this race, tried-and-true experience makes for the better candidate.

Ed Romaine has spent more than half his life dedicated to public service, and that experience will enable him to seamlessly step into the county executive’s role and steer the ship in the right direction.

While Suffolk County officials have often ignored or undercut the East End in favor of western towns, Romaine is a Center Moriches resident and a staunch environmentalist — a reminder that party membership is not always the last word. As a member of the Pine Barrens Commission, he has fought to protect the aquifer from unnecessary development, even butting heads with Southampton Town officials in his opposition to the Discovery Land project in East Quogue.

Back to the key issue: When asked about the County Legislature’s GOP majority scuttling a referendum this year to increase the sales tax by one-eighth of a cent to fund water quality programs, Romaine deferred. He must be pressed to convince his colleagues to allow the vote — it’s the single most important East End issue that the county is considering. To earn the votes of South Fork residents, Romaine must get that over the finish line.