Suffolk County Sheriff's Race Results Could Take A Week

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — In the end, the absentee ballots yet to be counted will determine the winner of a nail biter race for Suffolk County Sheriff.

According to the Suffolk County Board of Elections, there are 14,113 ballots to be counted and those ballots are likely to be totaled sometime next week, although an exact date and time has not yet been determined.

Voters headed to the polls on Election Day Tuesday to cast their votes for a new Suffolk County sheriff, but the tense race left two candidates in a dead heat.

With all election districts reporting, Democrat Errol Toulon Jr. leads Republican Larry Zacarese by a margin of 141,006 to 139,652, according to unofficial results.

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.

In September, Zacarese won the GOP line on the ballot after a primary; it was a surprise upset for GOP candidate State Sen. Phil Boyle.

Zacarese, assistant chief of Stony Brook University Police, posted a Facebook Live video after the primary win and 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."

The race has seen its share of dramatic twists and turns.

The GOP initially chose Boyle and the Dems nominated Stuart P. Besen, an attorney from East Northport, who was called a "placeholder" in multiple reports. But when Zacarese took home the nomination after a resounding primary win, the Democrats then chose Toulon.

Both men bring years of criminal justice experience to the proverbial table.

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.

According to his campaign website, Toulon, Jr. has 30 years of criminal justice experience, focused upon corrections intelligence and combating gang violence both inside and outside of correctional facilities.
Toulon, Jr. has 22 years of experience as a uniformed Member of Service with the New York City Correction Department, where he served as a supervisor and instructor at the Correction Academy, the Firearms and Tactics Unit, Emergency Service Unit and Office of Compliance Consultants, his bio states.

Next, he spent twp years as Assistant Deputy County Executive for Public Safety under former Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

In 2014, Toulon, Jr. was named Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the New York City Correction Department; he oversaw the applicant investigation unit, training academy, correction intelligence bureau, emergency preparedness and the policy and procedures unit, his bio states.

In addition, his bio said, Toulon, Jr. is certified through the Department of Homeland Security in emergency planning, radiological emergency management, incident response to terrorist bombing, WMD threat and risk assessment and state disaster management; Toulon is certified to teach weapons of mass destruction awareness, NIMS, domestic terrorism and hate crimes, his bio said.

He received his master's degree in business administration from Dowling College, an advanced certificate in Homeland Security management from Long Island University, recently completed his doctorate in educational administration and attended leadership courses at JFK School of Government at Harvard University, according to his campaign page.

He is a two time cancer survivor recovering from lymphoma as well as pancreatic cancer, his bio says. "His battles with cancer have inspired him to further dedicate his life to helping others," the campaign page reads.