SMITHTOWN, NY — Polls closed Tuesday night in the race for New York's 8th Assembly District, where incumbent Republican Michael Fitzpatrick faced Democratic challenger Lynn Trupiano-O'Keefe in the Nov. 3 general election.
Fitzpatrick, of St. James, is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines, while Trupiano-O'Keefe, of Kings Park, is running on the Democratic Party line.
The district encompasses the Town of Smithtown and portions of the Town of Islip, including communities such as Kings Park, St. James, Nesconset, Smithtown, Hauppauge and Islandia.
Votes are being counted, and Patch will provide updates as unofficial results become available from the Suffolk County Board of Elections.
Patch will update this story with unofficial vote totals and developments as results are reported Tuesday night.
10:30 p.m. update: Republican incumbent Michael Fitzpatrick continued to lead Democratic challenger Lynn Trupiano-O'Keefe, according to unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Fitzpatrick received 30,577 votes (60.88 percent), compared with Trupiano-O'Keefe's 19,618 votes (39.06 percent), with 94 of 109 election districts reporting. The results remain unofficial.
Results will remain unofficial until election officials complete the required canvass and certification process.
Trupiano-O'Keefe, a Kings Park resident and retired nuclear medicine technologist, spent 36 years working in healthcare, including supervisory and leadership positions. A mother of five, she has cited her experiences working with patients and witnessing the financial challenges facing families as motivations for seeking public office.
Her campaign has emphasized affordable healthcare, housing opportunities for young people, environmental protection and government accountability. Trupiano-O'Keefe supports the New York Health Act, which would establish a statewide single-payer healthcare system. She has also advocated for expanded vocational training, sewer infrastructure improvements, property tax relief for seniors and protections for Long Island's drinking water.
Fitzpatrick, a St. James resident, was first elected to the State Assembly in November 2002 after serving 15 years on the Smithtown Town Board. Before entering the Assembly, he spent more than 20 years in the financial services industry. He currently serves as the ranking minority member of the Assembly's Housing Committee and is also a member of the Ways and Means, Higher Education, Banks and Agriculture committees.
Fitzpatrick's priorities include controlling state spending, reducing the tax burden on New Yorkers, promoting economic development and strengthening higher education. He has advocated for transit-oriented development near Long Island Rail Road stations in Smithtown, St. James and Kings Park, along with sewer infrastructure expansion. Fitzpatrick has also proposed rebranding the State University of New York system to strengthen its national identity and has supported efforts to preserve and plan for the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center property.
More information about the candidates is available through Trupiano-O'Keefe's campaign website and Fitzpatrick's official Assembly biography.
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