Candidate Profile: Thea Fry For Southampton Town Trustee

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls Tuesday to elect local representatives.

The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5.

Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Thea Fry, 52, of Southampton, is running for election as Southampton Trustee on the Republican and Libertarian lines. Her opponents include Bill Pell, Scott Hortowitz, Ann Welker, David Mayer, Andrew Brosnan, Eric Shultz, Megan Heckman, Donald Law, Edward J Warner Jr., and Frederick Havemeyer.

Fry has been married almost 20 years and have one son, 15. She has a Masters in Education. She has worked in Southampton Public Schools as a teacher assistant for 25 years.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Thea Fry below.

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Thea Fry: The conditions of our fresh water ponds and our bays are a very pressing issue in the TOS. Gaining access to these bodies of water are a priority. Making sure our fresh water ponds and bays are healthy for generations to enjoy. A plan with a solution must be the priority. We must as a trustee board take action.

P: What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

F: I am a person of action and a very good listener. I make myself available to all the residents of the Town of Southampton. Being born and raised here on the East End, I understand the needs of the freeholders and the important issues which are ahead. The trustee board is of the people.

P: If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community

F: I believe the trustee office should be accessible to the freeholders. This should always be a priority.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

F: The major issues of my campaign are maintaining beach access rights, fiscal accountability, protecting our environment and sensitive waterways, and most importantly upholding the Dongan Patent for each and every freeholder.

P: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

F: My experience working with many groups such as; Eastern Suffolk Ducks Unlimited. The Polish Legion of American Veterans, as well as other veterans' groups enables me to listen to other opinions and make decisions, and take action when needed.

P: The best advice ever shared with me was ...

F: "Do your job and be you."

P: What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

F: I am a hard worker with deep roots in the community and I take action.