Larry Zacarese Wins Suffolk County Sheriff GOP Primary Race

With the results of all 1052 districts in, according to unofficial Suffolk County Board of Election results, Larry Zacarese has won the GOP line on the ballot in the upcoming election for Suffolk County's sheriff's seat with 12,323 votes, or 55.92 percent, with State Sen. Phil Boyle garnering 9,585 votes, or 43.5 percent.

There were 125 write-in votes.

Zacarese, assistant chief of Stony Brook University Police, also received 1,114 Reform Party votes, or 89.69 percent, with 128 write-in votes comprising 10.3 percent.

"Republican and Reform Party victory," Zacarese's campaign website said. "To all of our supporters, thank you for your dedication and hard work."

In a Facebook Live video he said, while there was still work to be done before the general election,"Tonight, we celebrate a hard fought victory. . . I'm forever grateful, forever indebted. Tonight, the people of Suffolk County spoke. Grassroots at its finest."

It's the first time a new sheriff will be elected in Suffolk County in 12 years; longtime Sheriff Vincent DeMarco announced this year that he wouldn't seek a fourth term.

Nominated for the Democratic line is Stuart P. Besen of Northport.

Zacarese began his public service career as a firefighter and emergency medical technician at 17 in the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department. He attended paramedic school and, after graduation, worked at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Stony Brook University Medical Center for several years before joining the New York City Police Department.

"While in the New York City Police Department, Larry worked as a patrol officer and plain-clothes anti-crime officer for 5 years until his transfer to the emergency service unit of the special operations division. During his assignment to the emergency service unit he worked as a canine handler and tactical paramedic for nearly 7 years before being promoted to sergeant. Thereafter, he worked as a uniformed patrol supervisor and, in his last assignment as the street narcotics enforcement unit sergeant," his bio said.

Currently, Zacarese is the assistant chief of police and director of the office of emergency management at Stony Brook University. In addition, he works as a deputy chief fire instructor at the Suffolk County Fire Academy and an advanced life support paramedic for the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Zacarese also holds a Masters in public administration, inspector general, and a Bachelor of Arts in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In addition, he holds a graduate certificate in global security and terrorism studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a graduate certificate in criminal justice education from the University of Virginia, and a New York State paramedic certificate from Stony Brook University.

He is also a graduate of the 246th session of the FBI National Academy, and a graduate of the FBI mid-Atlantic law enforcement executive development seminar leadership-training program at Princeton University.

Zacarese lives in Smithtown with his wife and their children.