Democrat Thomas Suozzi, driven by higher name recognition and cross-party support, leads Republican Jack Martins by 16 percentage points in the race to succeed Rep. Steve Israel in the 3rd Congressional District, according to a Newsday/Siena College poll.

Fifty percent of the 613 likely voters polled said they would back Suozzi, the former Nassau County executive, while 34 percent chose Martins, a state senator from Old Westbury. Fifteen percent said they were undecided or had no opinion.

The poll was conducted Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 2-5, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Its sampling closely mirrors the registration breakdown of the district that runs along the North Shore from western Suffolk County, through Nassau...| read more ››

Democratic state Senate contender James Gaughran has launched his first TV ad and is attacking veteran Senate Republican Carl Marcellino on public corruption.

In the ad, Gaughran shows pictures of himself as a Suffolk County legislator, saying he “wrote my first law to fight corruption at age 28,” adding “There’s still too many unethical politicians.”

A female narrator then says Marcellino “played dirty politics for decades,” supporting former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos “even after he was indicted,” and being part of the political machine that “ruined Oyster Bay finances.”

Kathy Wilson, Marcellino’s spokeswoman, said she has not seen the ad, but when she read the script, she said the attacks were way off.

“He has absolutely nothing to do...| read more ››

The Democrat trying to unseat longtime Republican State Sen. Kenneth LaValle has filed legal papers alleging LaValle receives an illegal campaign benefit from the Stony Brook University football stadium that bears his name.

Gregory-John Fischer filed a notice of claim — a precursor to a lawsuit — in State Supreme Court in Riverhead claiming the university named the stadium for LaValle after he secured $22 million in state funds for the venue’s construction.

Fischer also said the stadium gives LaValle an unfair advantage over those who run against him.

“It is ludicrous for sitting legislators (seeking re-election or otherwise) to have public structures named for them for the de facto benefit of their personal political careers,” Fischer said in the...| read more ››

Looking to vote in the general election on Nov. 8, 2016? Here are important details to know.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE

It was Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, at 11:59 p.m., but if you missed the deadline, you get a one-day grace period to register in person because it’s a presidential election year. There will be multiple locations on Long Island where you can do so on Saturday, including Roosevelt Field mall and community centers in Nassau, and six town halls and some American Legion halls in Suffolk.

YOU CAN FIND A REGISTRATION LOCATION BY CLICKING THIS LINK

HOW TO FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE

Enter your information on the New York State Board of Elections' voter registration- SEARCH PAGE ...| read more ››

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who faced 2000 angry protesters two years ago when he appeared at the Suffolk Democrats’ fall dinner, is making a return appearance to headline the event Oct. 24.

“We expect it will be a lot quieter this time,” said Richard Schaffer, who has known the Cuomo family since he attended the State University of Albany with the governor’s sister.

The $300-a-head event is to be held at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook, the same venue where Common Core protesters and unhappy victims of superstorm Sandy crowded the sidewalks near the catering hall.

Brookhaven Democrats, meanwhile, are getting state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman — touted by some as a potential gubernatorial contender — as the main attraction for...| read more ››

Shelter Island Democrats and friends welcomed Anna Throne-Holst, CD #1 Candidate and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the morning of September 4th at Governor Carey's house on Shelter Island. Despite the threats of Tropical Storm Hermine, Anna's supporters were welcomed with sunshine and a pleasant breeze. A large crowd gathered to hear them speak about the importance of this East End Congressional District in this highly polarized election year.| read more ››

Councilwoman Mary Dudley has started her campaign for election in November. Mary was appointed by the Shelter Island Town Board to fill the term left by Ed Brown after he stepped down. In her own words, "As Councilwoman, I bring my life experiences, a strong sense of what is right, a well-balanced perspective, and my love for Shelter Island. I believe in completing the job-at-hand and doing it well."| read more ››

Suffolk County’s August voter registration figures show that Democrats have a 9,755 edge in voter enrollment over Republicans countywide, up from 5,923 voters in January.

Both parties have experienced growth since the start of the year. Democrats are up from 298,268 voters to 307,409 party members. Republicans have climbed from 292,345 to 297,654.

However, Republican Election Commissioner Nick LaLota sees a silver lining in recent registration figures, saying that 3,014 Democratic voters have abandoned their party since January to join the GOP ranks, while only 1,535 Republicans have switched to become Democrats.

Meanwhile, the number of voters who are not registered in any party also has risen from 240,412 to 246,851 since the beginning of the year. Of those unaligned...| read more ››

Protecting our fragile coastline without building structures that “harden” it — like bulkheads, revetments and sea walls — is the goal of “living shorelines” projects like the demonstration project proposed for a canal off Cedar Beach in Southold.

Plans crafted by Suffolk County and Cornell Cooperative Extension for the county’s first “living shoreline” project, to be located at the marine education center in Southold, got a green light today from the County Legislature’s Environment, Planning and Agriculture Committee.

The demonstration project will consist of a layer of natural materials planted with spartina alterniflora and black ribbed mussels on about 197 feet of shoreline at the education center. Together, these materials, plants and molluscs will stabilize the shoreline and, at the...| read more ››

Patchogue Village is finally getting the $18 million Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised in 2014 for additional sewer hookups.

That means homes south of streets like Mulford and Laurel as well as those not yet hooked up on River Avenue will be eligible, over 600 homes. Mayor Paul Pontieri said it would be a three-to-four-year project.

Pontieri introduced the intermunicipal agreement, or IMA, with the county, part of the Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Project, Monday night that was approved, the first step in starting the process.

“It’s a complete grant,” Legis. Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue) told the Advance. “The village won’t be paying any money back, which was a sticking point. It will allow the village to connect to up...| read more ››