Two weeks before the Nov .6 election, a Huntington Town Republican ad has the two major parties sniping at each other online.
The Republican ad says Town Councilwoman Joan Cergol, who is running against Republican Jim Leonick, left the Community Development Agency more than $1 million in debt when she was appointed to the Town Board last year. The ad, which is appearing online and TV, criticizes the purchase of 1264-1268 New York Ave., Huntington Station, which houses the Huntington Opportunity Resource Center, among other offices.
The ad goes on to say “Remember all of former Councilwoman Tracey Edwards’ family members on the Town payroll? Guess who the only two people working in this building were related to…connecting the dots yet? That’s right, the only two people working out of those luxury offices were former Councilwoman Tracey Edwards’ family members — and Joan Cergol provided these political allies luxury renovated office space on the taxpayer dime while Town Hall was falling apart in disrepair, the state in which the prior administration left it for the new administration.”
Edwards ran for town supervisor last November against Chad Lupinacci, who won and took office in January. She has since become executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk.
That ad provoked responses from numerous Democrats, including Edwards, who responded by writing on Facebook, “Poor Chad.. Why in the world are you still campaigning against me? You won remember!! Insecurity is so sad. Please focus on Huntington,” before ending with a quote from the poet Maya Angelou.
Other Democrats chimed in to support Cergol and Edwards and added complaints about several other matters, including Lupinacci and other town Republicans, taxes, nuisance crimes, a congressional race, and a civic organization.
Meanwhile, Cergol’s team produced a series of quick videos to support her candidacy.