The Southampton Town Democratic Party reshuffled its Town Trustees slate this week, replacing Trustee Fred Havemeyer with a political newcomer, Bill Brauninger, on the ballot for the fall election.

Mr. Havemeyer announced last week that he was withdrawing from the race and will leave the board in December after 11 years.

Mr. Brauninger, who lives in North Haven Village and grows oysters in cages in Peconic Bay, was added to the Democratic ticket as a fill-in candidate just before the July 18 filing deadline. It is his first run for town office, though he has served on the North Haven Village Planning Board and on an advisory committee that oversaw Sag Harbor Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

A man who has worn many hats in both business and public life, Mr. Brauninger said his decision to run for elected office was not a difficult one.

“I don’t like being told that I can’t go on beaches,” Mr. Brauninger said this week, relating a recent conversation with a local official regarding access to a private beach. “It’s done for a love of the bays. I’m passionate about it.”

“We’re very pleased he accepted the offer to run,” Southampton Town Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Herr said on Monday. “He’s very well qualified, and he’s a lifelong environmentalist.”

Mr. Brauninger will have two lines on the November ballot, as he has been cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party.

On the other side of the ballot, Town Trustee Ed Warner earned another party line for his reelection bid just before the ballots were finalized last week. Mr. Warner, a Republican, submitted a petition signed by Independence Party members insisting that he be given party’s fifth endorsement for Town Trustee. The petition was approved by Frank MacKay, chairman of both the New York State and Suffolk County Independence parties.

Mr. Warner had initially been passed over by the party when it handed out its nominations to four other Town Trustee candidates. Mr. Havemeyer also was denied an Independence nomination.

The Southampton Town Independence Party leader, State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., said the four bids had been given to those for whom there was consensus support among the party’s local elected officials. In addition to Mr. Thiele, that group included Town Trustee Bill Pell, Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and Town Highway Superintendent Alex Gregor.

Mr. Warner and Mr. Havemeyer did not have unanimous support, Mr. Thiele said at the time, though this week he welcomed Mr. Warner’s inclusion on the party line.

“A number of people spoke in favor of Eddie Warner, and he carried his own petition,” Mr. Thiele said. “I’m glad he did, and I think he deserves to be on the ticket.”

Mr. Warner will now have three lines on the ballot this fall: Republican, Independence and Conservative.

For the life of me, I will never understand Indy endorsements. Their trustee candidates now include 2 republicans, 1 former republican, 1 republican until his party change takes effect, and 1 indy. What exactly is the criteria for this endorsement when hard working and honest people like Fred Havermeyer are passed over? Kinda makes one wonder...or should.

This reveals itself with its cross endorsements without rhyme or reason explained rationally only by the logic of horse trading and political opportunism. The Party is simply a joke along with with most of its members.

Comes the revolution, the folks who manipulated this one will choke on bitter regret. The victims here are not without potent means of retaliation -- a nuclear option, if you will -- and the revolution is drawing nearer and nearer.

So George the folks who manipulated this one (Who according to the article were Fred Thiele, Bill Pell, Anna Throne-Holst and Alex Gregor)all have received the cross-endorsements and County Democratic Committee issued Wilson-Pakula's. They are your candidates.

Exactly what revolution are you speak of George. Ready to stop cross-endorsements and run Democrats? That is the nuclear option, George. Glad to see you have finally realized the folly of being the Southampton Democratic chapter ...moreof the Southampton Independence Party.

In my opinion, this news article only scratches the surface of the political machinations going on with cross-endorsements. Unfortunately up-island style politics has made its way into small town elections here on the East End and the tail is wagging the dog with the Democratic and Republican Party candidates with cross-endorsements to obtain ballot placement on other lines for Election Day.

The Independence Party Platform (IndependenCE not to be confused with IndependenT) includes ...moreplanks focused on electoral choice and "diminishing the pervasive and pernicious role of campaign contributions in buying access to legislative decision-making and in promoting claims to public money and resources ..." (meaning putting to an end to the appearance of impropriety with "Pay-to-Play" donations). The Independence Party states that its mission is to select truly independent, fair-minded candidates who will work hard to promote public policies that are more consistent with the desires and needs of the public, and will adhere to an "Anti-Gratuity Plank" - refusing all gifts and gratuities from lobbyists and other private interests - those seeking government approvals for zoning decisions, special event permits, town contracts or services or legislation from local, state, federal office-holders. The Independence Party Platform specifically calls for its candidates to adhere to standards that they will NOT accept Political Action Committee contributions and that at least 80% of the campaign funds come from donors with their primary residence within the area where the candidates live.

Unfortunately, this is NOT the case when it comes to Anna Throne-Holst ("ATH"), the top of the ticket for the Independence Party in the Town of Southampton. She is an enrolled Independence Party voter (I), not an enrolled Democrat (D). This news article states that the decision to pass over incumbent Trustee Fred Havemeyer for Independence Party cross-endorsement was made based upon consensus support from other Independence Party enrolled candidates on the ticket who currently hold elected offices in the Town of Southampton. I think voters should connect the dots in this case by looking very closely at the wealthy donors giving generously to the re-election effort of ATH, the location of their summer residences along the prestigious Hamptons oceanfront, and the advocacy for public access and the environment that Trustee Havemeyer has provided during his tenure as a local government official.

As a candidate for Southampton Town Supervisor, I will continue to urge voters to send a message on Election Day, November 5 that SOUTHAMPTON IS NOT FOR SALE. Together, we can TAKE BACK THE TOWN! We need to put an end to this up-island style political horse-trading nonsense and elect local government officials who truly care about our local community, not hob-knobbing with the rich and famous, the celebrities, and having lots of $$$ from heavy-hitters to bankroll their campaign fund, etc.

It matters not what the platform of the Independence Party may be, in reality it is the creature of Frank MacKay and endorses those candidates to whom he capriciously vouchsafes his favor. The reason that such a whimsical party endures is that voters pull the Independen[ce] lever in the mistaken belief that they are voting "independen[t]" (i.e. unaligned), giving it deceitful relevance. In fairness, Frank should be required to change its name from "The Independence Party" to "The Misleading Party."

One ...morewonders that conscience does not prevent candidates from begging the blessing of this tin-hatted fraud until one observes the behavior in office of candidates who have run under Frank's banner.

True, Highhatsize ... The vast majority of voters who registered Independence did so under the mistaken belief that the they were registering as "not enrolled with a Political Party" meaning Independent, or "Blank." Meanwhile such voters are actually part of this Independence Party that is led by Frank MacKay, the state and county party leader. I think that the elected officials who changed their registration to be enrolled as "Independence Party" did so out of opportunism - as a way to ensure ...morethemselves ballot placement more easily than that required for the major political parties, Republican and Democratic. For the Independence Party ballot placement, less signatures from registered voters are required on designating petitions and if a candidate is enrolled Independence, such candidate does not need the Wilson Pakula authorization from the county/state party leader - making it easier to get on the ballot with a line that implies that the candidate is "independent" --- misleading and deceiving -- as you stated. Such candidates do not give a hoot what the Independence Party Platform states, nor do some of them conform to the standards of conduct that that platform articulates with respect to campaign donations, PAC funds such as PBA $, and providing choice to the voters on Election Day.

LK - you state: "The vast majority of voters who registered Independence did so under the mistaken belief that the they were registering as "not enrolled with a Political Party" meaning Independent, or "Blank." Sooo... you're saying the "vast majority" of registered independents are ignorant/naive/dumb/fill-in-the-blank? That should help you get some votes in the up-coming election for sure!

Any stats backing up that claim? Or are only people who register Dem or Repub "smart" enough ...moreto know what they're doing?

Nature - I did not imply that the vast majority of registered IndependenCE voters are "ignorant, naive, dumb, fill-in-the-blank" - those are your words, not mine. In my opinion, most of the voters who are registered IndependenCE believe that they registered IndependenT when they checked off the box on the Board of Elections application form - not realizing that IndependenCE is a political party, with a county/state party leader named Frank MacKay. I back this opinion up with my experience in talking ...morewith hundreds of IND enrolled voters directly when campaigning door-to-door over the past several years, when collecting their signatures in the past on Independence Party designating petitions for candidates to obtain ballot placement on that party line. So, I stand by the belief that the vast majority of IND voters are not aware that they enrolled with a political party, unlike BLK voters who are fully aware that they are unaffiliated with a party ("Blank") meaning Independent.

But to imply that they are unaware implies that they are "fill in the blank". I'm just saying it comes off as insulting and will likely not garner you too many votes from the IndepdENT IndependenCE voters.

Getting back to the topic at hand, Fred Havemeyer, just like any trouble that originates in the Democratic Party in the last 5 years, this has Anna's signature fingerprints all over it. A person, Fred, admired and respected by the Democratic fold suddenly becomes a victim of vicious attacks from nowhere in his own party.

Political machinations are obviously behind this caper and when the dust settles, Fred will speak up and reveal the truth. Anna made a nefarious deal to bump him off. ...moreWhen will the Democrats ever learn.

When will the Democratic leadership be replaced. As it is, they are headed for disaster this November as everywhere, malaise in the offended rank and file are all over with enthusiasm at an all time low as was evident in their big Summer fundraiser in July that simply bombed out.

This is not a Democratic campaign, it is the start of a funeral cortege that has started five or six years ago upon the ascendancy and dominance of an alien candidate from the Independence Party. The Republicans see this coming and are stepping on the gas led by Linda Kabot who has reenergized the Republican rank and file.

I predict a very strong Republican showing and a strong Kabot victory!