A Democrat who had suspended his campaign for Town Council jumped back into the race Friday after the Huntington Democratic Committee’s designated candidate dropped out.
Michael P. Bento, 30, a Northport resident, announced Friday that he was back in the campaign, saying, “At this time I am now rescinding my suspension, and resuming normal campaign operations. This Campaign is NOT OVER. We are now in the process of collecting signatures to be on the ballot. Our goal is to collect 1500 signatures from Democrats.”
He had dropped out when the party committee designated attorney Barry Lites as a candidate, running with incumbent Councilwoman Joan Cergol. She and fellow incumbent Gene Cook, an independent, are both up for re-election in November. Cook was endorsed by the Republican town committee last week, while Cergol was designated by the Democrats, along with Lites.
Bento, who said, “It’s time for us to start to get the next generation onto the council,” praised Cergo, saying, “I am 100 percent behind her. she’s been an absolute champion for young people.”
A series of changes in New York State voting laws approved in January moved the state primaries from September to June, leading some candidates to scramble to get petitions signed by voters.