Southampton May Need New County Legislator; Schneiderman Gets Nod for East Hampton Race

Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman is poised to attempt a return to his old job as East Hampton Town supervisor, leaving the Second Legislative District race wide open.

Schneiderman, a Montauk resident whose district encompasses Southampton Town and East Hampton Town, recieved the East Hampton Republican Committee's nomination for supervisor on Saturday.

In 2011, the Independence Party member was elected to his fifth two-year term in the County Legislature. With the backing of the Democratic Party, he handily defeated Republican challenger Cornelius Kelly. Schneiderman is eligible to serve another two years in the Legislator before term limits require him to step aside, but now the door is open for him to return to the supervisor's chair, a seat he held for four years before joining the Legislature.

Schneiderman used to be a Republican, but he switched his registration to the Independence Party in 2008.

In nominating Schneiderman, the East Hampton GOP sidestepped incumbent Republican Supervisor Bill Wilkinson. Read about Wilkinson's reaction at East Hampton Patch.

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