Kathee Burke-Gonzalez Scores Landslide Victory Over Jerry Larsen in East Hampton Democratic Primary for Town Supervisor
Incumbent Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez won the Democratic primary for East Hampton Town Supervisor on Tuesday, defeating East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen in a decisive race that sets the stage for November’s general election.
Unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections show Burke-Gonzalez with 62.24% of the vote, totaling 2,054 ballots, compared with 37.73%, or 1,245 votes, for Larsen.
Town Supervisor Kathy Burke-Gonzalez and East Hampton Mayor Jerry Larsen
With no Republican candidate yet in the race, the Democratic primary is widely expected to determine the outcome of the November election in the heavily Democratic town.
Burke-Gonzalez Backing
Burke-Gonzalez entered the race with broad institutional backing, including endorsements from Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni, Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker, the New York League of Conservation Voters, the Working Families Party, and three of four East Hampton Town Board members.
“This was a grueling campaign,” Burke-Gonzalez said in her victory remarks at Rowdy Hall in Amagansett. She added that the outcome also pointed to areas needing continued attention in town government. “It also showed there’s more work to do, and we’re going to keep listening and improving.”
Larsen, who has two more years remaining in his term as East Hampton Village mayor, focused his campaign on town operations, criticizing the Building Department and stalled municipal projects, including the senior center. He also backed a slate of challengers for seats on the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee.
East Hampton Mayor Jerry Larsen on eletion night.
“The tally came in; we lost,” Larsen said at Serafina in East Hampton. “It was a hard-fought campaign, and I congratulate them on the job they did.”
He noted that his committee slate appeared to have picked up several seats based on unofficial results and said he will continue serving as mayor while staying engaged in town issues. “I still feel there’s a lot of mismanagement going on,” he said.
The race also reshaped the local Democratic Committee, with multiple challengers appearing to win seats, signaling internal shifts within the town’s Democratic leadership.
Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com
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