Incumbent Riverhead Supervisor Appears Poise To Win Race

RIVERHEAD, NY — As Election Night drew to a close, incumbent Jerry Halpin appeared poised to win the race for Riverhead Town supervisor after facing off against opponent Ken Rothwell.

According to unofficial results by the Suffolk County Board of Elections, Halpin ended the night with 6,779, or 52.40 percent, of the votes, with Rothwell garnering 6,152, or 47.55, with 22 of 22 districts reporting.

Halpin, 54, an Independent/blank running on the Democratic and Taxpayers First lines, previously told Patch why he sought re-election.

"Like a lot of Riverhead taxpayers, I was fed up with the excuses and the routine piercing of the tax cap. In 10 months, I offered a budget that did not pierce the cap while maintaining services, providing raises and adding new positions," he said.

He said the single-most pressing issue facing constituents was "the ever-increasing cost of living on Long Island."

He also said he hoped to continue to spotlight EPCAL development, Sound Avenue preservation, downtown growth beyond Main Street to include surrounding areas as well as continuing to work on employee retention through advancement, pay structure and continuing to improve the workplace culture.

Reflecting on his accomplishments, he spoke of his 2027 budget, "wherein I do not pierce the cap, which was done in part because I initiated an early retirement incentive that resulted in 819K in savings. Improved employee morale and initiated regular one-on-one meetings with department heads."

Halpin, who has also served as a pastor, had a message for voters: "Their voice matters to me and to the future of Riverhead. Together, we can generate ideas and solutions to Riverhead’s greatest challenges. We need to come together and stop allowing our differences to divide us."

Rothwell, 55, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, is a current Riverhead Town councilman as well as a funeral home owner.

His goals, he told Patch, included steering the town "through more restricted town budgets. Reduce tax burdens on residents. Redevelop the EPCAL property with high-tech, high-paying jobs. Finish construction of the new ambulance facility at no taxpayer expense. Preserve more farmland and open space protecting Riverhead's agricultural heritage. Continue to revitalize all of the downtown Main Street area to aid local business and create a more sustainable tax base, as we are now under construction building our first town square."

He cited high property taxes as the town's most pressing issue.