Southold, NY December 6, 2018 – Southold Town Democratic Committee Chairwoman Kathryn Casey Quigley is congratulating members of the Southold Town Democratic Committee, its officers, and all of the dedicated volunteers who stepped forward in the effort to help Perry Gershon, of East Hampton, unseat Republican Congressman and Trump-loyalist, Lee Zeldin in last month’s mid-term election. Although the Mr. Gershon had a strong showing against Zeldin across the district, he failed to unseat the incumbent. Local party leaders, however, are saying that the numbers for Southold reflect a decisive victory for the Democrats in Southold.
“After all of the votes were counted, Perry Gershon beat Congressman Zeldin in Southold Town 51 to 48%,” Casey Quigley recently announced to committee members and Democratic supporters. Southold saw a 65.7 percent voter turnout in the election. This tremendous increase in turnout compared to the 2014 election cycle also helped to dramatically narrow the gap between Zeldin and his challengers from previous years. Also making a big difference was a significant increase in voter registrations for Democrats in the town. Over the past year alone, Democrats have registered over 400 voters, greatly narrowing the registration gap between the two major parties.
“This outcome proves that all of your hard work is having an impact. What we are seeing is a blue tide rising right here in Southold Town,” Casey Quigley noted. “This win is a direct result of Democratic efforts to register voters, knock on doors, organize fundraisers, make phone calls, and write letters on behalf of the Democratic candidate.”
The grassroots energy and enthusiasm among local Democrats stands in stark contrast to concerning efforts locally and nationally by the GOP to defraud our elections and malign our democratic processes.
“These numbers show that by rolling up our sleeves and working together for the common good, Southold Democrats were able to rally behind our candidate and educate voters, all while running a clean and honest campaign,” Casey Quigley said. “I think it speaks volumes about the kind of town we live in when such gains can be made without trickery or deceit. I believe Gershon won in Southold because we brought our A-game for a great candidate. We will continue to remain high, even when they go low.”
Southold Democrats look forward to building on the momentum in the 2019 Town races.
“Candidates and voters alike are seeing that the Southold Dems are better organized, better funded, and represent a larger percentage of the registered voters in the town than ever before,” Casey Quigley stated. “It’s time results like these made their way onto our Town Board. And we look forward to making that happen.”