Politics & Government
UPDATED: Garetano Unofficial Victor; D'Amaro Demands Recount
In a complete reversal from last night's numbers, an unofficial BOE re-examination of the 17th District Independence primary shows Garetano in the lead with one district left to report.
Update: The BOE will not release official election results until next week after a recount is completed with both candidates present.
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Conservative challenger Dennis Garetano has unofficially beat out incumbent Democrat Louis D’Amaro for the right to be the Independence Party candidate in the election on Nov. 8.
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An unofficial Board of Elections report of primary results from 2 p.m. Wednesday shows Garetano ahead 101 to 79 with 56.11 percent of the vote and one district left to report; a near complete revearsal from Tuesday's late night numbers which showed D'Amaro in the lead 71 to 55.
Official results are being affecting many voting machines throughout Suffolk County which initially produced severely misreported results. The Suffolk BOE declined to comment on the exact nature of the error, but sources say that the data chip holding the computerized ballot information has malfunctioned in some polling places.
Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The data chips are one of two tracking mechanisms, the other being hard copy paper receipts which the BOE is now using to determine an accurate count. The BOE said it is currently examining the results and may not release official numbers until Thursday.
Dennis Garetano sent an email to supporters this afternoon celebrating his apparent success, saying that it was no easy task to beat an incumbent and thanking a "small army" of dedicated volunteers. This will be his second bid for the 17th District seat.
“It’s obvious the electorate is upset, rightfully so. They deserve not political campaign rhetoric but real solutions to the issues: jobs, crime, overdevelopment and excessive government spending. As a small businessman and community volunteer my pledge is to represent the residents,” he said.
Louis D'Amaro's office said it would be premature to comment on the unofficial tally and that he would likely demand a recount.
“Based on what’s going on already, I think that it would be appropriate to count the ballots by hand. That’s what we’re going to demand no matter what that card reads, quite frankly,” said Justin Littell, D'Amaro's Chief of Staff.
Independence Party Chairman Frank MacKay could not be reached for comment.
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