Mr. Halpin, 54, an independent candidate running on the Democratic line, defeated Mr. Hubbard by 37 votes — 3,958 to 3,921 — according to results released Friday after all mailed absentee and military ballots were counted. The margin triggered an automatic manual recount of all 7,879 ballots cast.

“I am truly honored that the voters of Riverhead have entrusted me to serve our community,” said Mr. Halpin, lead minister at North Shore Christian Church in Riverhead. “Riverhead’s future depends on all of us — working together as neighbors and taxpayers, regardless of party — to ensure our community continues to grow stronger and brighter than ever.”

On election night, Mr. Halpin led by just 21 votes. But over the past two weeks, the board counted 113 additional ballots — 76 absentee, and 37 affidavits. Of these, 67 went to Mr. Halpin expanding his narrow lead.

State law requires a manual recount if the margin of victory is approximately 0.5% of votes cast. The recount began at 10 a.m. Monday at the Board of Elections, where a bipartisan committee began counting every ballot by hand. The process involved roughly 30 people and took over a day to complete.

The Riverhead Town supervisor office released a statement on Tuesday announcing Mr. Hubbard’s concession.

“The people have spoken, and while the result was not what I had hoped, I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition for Supervisor-elect Halpin,” said Mr. Hubbard.

Mr. Halpin, who has worked in nonprofit leadership for more than 30 years, entered the race citing the 7.89% tax increase in the 2025 town budget — the town’s largest since the state cap was enacted in 2012 — and its impact on fixed-income residents.

His campaign for Riverhead Town supervisor focused heavily on fiscal management and listening to residents frustrated by four consecutive years of tax cap overrides. The town currently faces criticism over its 2026 budget, which includes another 7.74% tax levy increase.

“We are grateful to the voters of Riverhead for placing their trust in Jerry,” the Riverhead Democratic Committee said Friday. “This win belongs to every resident who believed our town deserves a government that listens, plans responsibly and puts people first.”

In the Town Council races, Republican incumbent Kenneth Rothwell staved off a strong challenge from Democrat Mark Woolley, Mr. Hubbard’s brother-in-law, winning by 58 votes.

Mr. Rothwell received 3,882 votes to Mr. Woolley’s 3,824. On election night, Mr. Woolley trailed by 74 votes, but he closed the gap as absentee and affidavit ballots were counted over the past two weeks.

Republican incumbent Bob Kern secured the second council seat with 3,958 votes — the highest total in any race. Democratic challenger Kevin Shea finished fourth with 3,515 votes.

“Mark and Kevin showed up every day for this community, and we are grateful for their dedication and the energy they brought to this election,” the Riverhead Democratic Committee said.

Mr. Halpin’s victory breaks the longstanding Republican stranglehold over the five-member Town Board. However, due to recent law changes for even-year elections in New York, Mr. Halpin would have to run again in November 2026.

He has already begun fundraising for the next cycle, asking his supporters to consider donating $37 — his margin of victory — in a Facebook post on his campaign page on Nov. 21.

In his concession statement, Mr. Hubbard thanked “the thousands of residents” who supported and voted for him in this election. He called his time as an elected official for the past decade “an honor and a privilege.”

He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside countless of elected officials, community leaders, business owners and over 300 town employees towards making Riverhead “an incredible place to live, work and play.”

“I truly love the Town of Riverhead and have always believed in the immense potential this town holds,” Mr. Hubbard wrote. “It has so much to offer, and I remain optimistic about its future.”

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“I am truly honored that the voters of Riverhead have entrusted me to serve our community. It is with deep humility and gratitude that I step into the role of Riverhead Town supervisor-elect,” Mr. Halpin said in a statement. “Riverhead’s future depends on all of us — working together as neighbors and taxpayers, regardless of party — to ensure our community continues to grow stronger and brighter than ever.”

All eyes have been on the incredibly close race between incumbent Supervisor Tim Hubbard and Mr. Halpin, who widened the tight gap with a 37-vote lead as of Friday. According to unofficial numbers the committee received from the Suffolk County Board of Elections, the local pastor defeated Mr. Hubbard 3,956 to 3,919 votes.

Despite this declaration, the Suffolk County Board of Elections said it plans to begin the manual recount process on Monday at 10 a.m. An automatic recount is required if the margin of victory is 20 votes or less or approximately 0.5% of votes cast, the law says. That would put the margin for an automatic recount at just under 40 votes of total 7,875 total ballots recorded.

In an email on Friday afternoon, the board confirmed it would be publishing the certified results on Tuesday following the manual recount of the supervisor race.

“We are grateful to the voters of Riverhead for placing their trust in Jerry,” the Riverhead Democratic Committee said in its news release. “This win belongs to every resident who believed our town deserves a government that listens, plans responsibly and puts people first.”

Republican Riverhead Town councilmen Bob Kern and Kenneth Rothwell will continue to serve on the Town Board. Mr. Kern received the highest amount of votes, securing 3,958, while Mr. Rothwell received 3,882.

“The committee also extended sincere thanks to Mark Woolley and Kevin Shea, who ran strong, spirited campaigns for Town Council,” the Democratic committee said in its statement. “Mark and Kevin showed up every day for this community, and we are grateful for their dedication and the energy they brought to this election.”

Starting Monday, every single ballot cast will be manually counted by a bipartisan committee at the Board of Elections.

Mr. Hubbard could not be reached for comment before press time. He previously stated he was also waiting for the final absentee and military ballots to be tabulated and anticipated an automatic recount.

In the last couple of weeks, the Suffolk County Board of Elections have been counting remaining military, absentee and affidavit ballots for the Riverhead Town supervisor and council races. Mailed absentee ballots had to be postmarked by Nov. 4 and received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 12. Military ballots must be received by Monday, Nov. 17.

In an email to the Riverhead News-Review on Nov. 12, the Suffolk BOE confirmed there were 36 affidavits that needed to be counted and 39 were submitted. The board was waiting on three military ballots as well.

At the time this information was shared, 406 total absentee ballots for the general election had been counted; 171 were Democrat and 132 Republican. Around 224 absentee ballots were sent, but had not yet been received, including 84 Democrat and 64 Republican ballots. The county board also noted 58 blank ballots were sent, but not received.

Looking at the other totals for absentee ballots, 25 were marked undeliverable and 17 were disqualified. Seven were not sent, and four were deemed not active.

The Suffolk County Board of Elections previously told the Riverhead News-Review that the election results would not be certified until the end of the month.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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The narrow margin from Tuesday’s election results — 3,891 to 3,870, according to unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections — went unmentioned as residents and town officials discussed the preliminary budget and tax levy override.

An automatic recount is required if the margin of victory is 20 votes or less or approximately 0.5% of votes cast, the law says. That would put the margin for an automatic recount at around 40 votes of the 7,761 cast.

The Riverhead Town Board race results are also too close to call. Both Republican incumbent candidates, Bob Kern and Kenneth Rothwell, were ahead of their Democratic challengers Mark Woolley and Kevin Shea when polls closed.

Out of 14,951 votes counted for the Riverhead Town Board races, Mr. Kern tops all four candidates with 3,907 votes. Mr. Rothwell follows with 3,833. Mr. Woolley currently has 3,759 votes, while Mr. Shea racked up 3,452.

The candidates may not know their fates until the middle of the month while military and absentee ballots are tabulated.

Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 and received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 12. Military ballots must be received by Nov. 17. The current vote tallies include early voting and absentee ballots received by Election Day.

In a phone interview following Election Day, Mr. Hubbard said if the race demands a recount, he is hopeful it could sway in the Riverhead Republicans’ favor.

“We have to look at the final numbers when they come in, with all the absentee ballots and military ballots counted, we’re going to have to reevaluate once we have those final numbers,” Mr. Hubbard said. “But, it certainly seems like it’s going to be heading towards a recount.”

He predicted a “closer race” this year than when he first ran for town supervisor in 2023 against Angela DeVito. At that time, Hubbard won by 59% of the 8,753 votes cast.

He attributed low voter turnout to the current results and said taxes were the major issue that influenced voters the most — the same issue that dominated Thursday’s budget hearing.

The Riverhead Democratic Committee said on social media Wednesday they are waiting for the final count.

“Mark Woolley [is] in third place, for the two board seats, but final ballot counts could bump him over [Mr.] Rothwell, who only has 74 votes over Mark,” the committee wrote on Facebook. “The official results of the election will not be known for weeks.”

The Riverhead News-Review reached out to the Suffolk County Board of Elections to confirm outstanding ballot totals. A representative said Friday the office has been “busy” over the last few day due to an influx of inquiries. They will not able to respond to the information request until next week, the rep said.

At Thursday’s public hearing on the tax levy override and preliminary 2026 budget, residents expressed frustration over the town once again piercing the tax cap.

“Ignoring the taxpayers is disrespectful and costly,” said Claudette Bianco of Baiting Hollow. “People are angry.”

Mr. Hubbard and other town officials explained there was no way around the increase, as state mandated rises in health insurance premiums, state retirement rates and contractual police raises were unavoidable. The other avenue would have been to lay off 15 town employees, the officials said.

The supervisor had expressed the same sentiment in the phone interview after the close election night battle.

“It doesn’t matter who’s sitting in that chair, it’s going to be the same problem whoever is sitting there. “Unfortunately, people don’t like to pay more taxes, neither do I, and I understand that, but there’s a reality to all of this,” he said. “It’s raising taxes, or laying people off, and I wasn’t in a position to lay anybody off. I didn’t feel that was the right thing to do because we’re barebones staffed as it is.”

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Jerry Halpin, the lead minister at North Shore Christian Church in Riverhead, maintained a slim margin over incumbent Supervisor Tim Hubbard on Wednesday afternoon as one of the closest races in town history remained too close to call.

The political novice held a 21-vote lead — 3,891 to 3,870 — as of 1 p.m., according to unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

The razor-thin margin kept both parties on edge late into Tuesday night as technical issues with card readers in two election districts delayed final results.

At 11:35 p.m., Riverhead Republican Committee chair Tammy Robinkoff said she received word from the Suffolk County Board of Elections that there was a problem with election districts 12 and 22, where 200 votes remained outstanding.

Officials are also still counting absentee and military ballots.

The tight margin may trigger an automatic recount, according to New York State election law.

“It’s still a decent level of uncertainty because we still don’t know for sure, and we won’t know for some time,” Mr. Hubbard said Wednesday.

“In a race that close, you know if it demands a recount, we remain hopeful that it’s going to go in our favor,” he added. 

Mr. Halpin, an independent candidate who ran on the Democratic line, expressed his gratitude for residents who “made it a priority to vote.” 

“I am excited about the current standings, and I am patiently optimistic as we wait for a final decision,” Mr. Halpin, who has worked in nonprofit leadership as a pastor for more than 30 years, said in a text on Wednesday. 

Ms. Robinkoff was still keeping the faith for a comeback by Mr. Hubbard. 

She said Tuesday at the Republican watch party at Stonewall’s Restaurant in Riverhead that none of the candidates would concede until all the results were in.

By 11:15 p.m., the atmosphere at the Republican watch party had grown somber as the crowd started to thin out.

Mr. Hubbard, as well as Councilmen Bob Kern and Kenneth Rothwell, stayed until the very end of the night. 

Mr. Hubbard stepped outside for air before Ms. Robinkoff made her announcement. At 11 p.m., the two candidates were separated by just six votes.

He noted the waiting was “a painful process.”

Out of 14,951 votes counted so far for the Riverhead Town Board races, Mr. Kern tops all four candidates with 3,907 votes. Mr. Rothwell follows just behind him with 3,833. Both incumbents look poised to fend off Dem challengers Kevin Shea and Mark Woolley, Mr. Hubbard’s brother-in-law. 

Mr. Woolley currently has 3,759 votes, while Mr. Shea racked up 3,452.

Mr. Rothwell and Mr. Kern, who both ran for a second four-year term, were both elected in 2021 and have played critical roles in making decisions that shape Riverhead’s future. 

Mr. Hubbard said he remains hopeful he’ll get to work again with Mr. Kern and Mr. Rothwell.

“I’m certainly glad to see them both in the lead because I think they’ve done a fantastic job as board members, and I think they will continue to do the same,” he said Wednesday.

Mr. Hubbard served eight years on the Town Board as a councilman and was deputy town supervisor in 2018. He has served as Riverhead Town Supervisor since he was first elected in 2023. Downtown revitalization has been one of Mr. Hubbard’s top priorities, as well as continuing to improve public safety. 

Like Mr. Halpin, Mr. Shea and Mr. Woolley entered the ring of this competitive race as newcomers. Mr. Shea, of Baiting Hollow, is a retired New York City firefighter and 9/11 first responder, and a staunch environmental steward.

Mr. Woolley, a Riverhead native, is a seasoned government liaison who has worked with six different members of Congress.

In other Riverhead races, Laverne Tennenberg and Mike Zaleski both ran unopposed for town assessor and highway department superintendent, respectively. 

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Mr. Hubbard, a Republican, defended piercing the state’s 2% property tax cap for the fourth straight year, calling it “antiquated” during the showdown on Thursday, Oct. 16. 

Mr. Halpin, an independent running on the Democratic line, blamed the incumbent’s administration for leaving residents “out to dry” with rising costs. 

The exchange highlighted the central issue dividing candidates as voters prepare to choose a supervisor and two Town Board members Nov. 4.

Residents packed Riley Avenue Elementary School in Calverton for the forum, hosted by The Greater Calverton and Wading River civic associations – the only faceoff involving all the candidates after the Republican slate skipped two previous events hosted by civic groups they claimed were biased.

Riverhead’s five-member Town Board includes two other Republicans, Joann Waski and Denise Merrifield, who are not up for reelection this year.

Toqui Terchun and Sid Bail acted as moderators on topics that included taxes, land preservation, agriculture, development, affordable housing and environmental issues.

Supervisor battle

On the main card, Mr. Hubbard pushed back over criticism of his tentative 2026 budget, which exceeds the state-mandated tax cap by more than five percentage points.

The supervisor noted the pension system, health insurance, salaries and contracts alone pierced the tax cap – forcing him to cut nearly $600,000 in equipment from the budget to minimize increases. 

“Costs have gone through the roof — it’s out of our control,” he said. “Do yourself a favor and look at the budget online. … Do your homework — be smart, educate yourself.”

Mr. Halpin, a local pastor, countered that the last two tax cap increases motivated his supervisor run, arguing the board hasn’t done enough to generate revenue and reduce taxpayer burden.

“We’re always having these constant problems, and the entire time, [the residents] have been left out to dry,” Mr. Halpin said. “The reason the tax cap is there is to protect us. We need to have somebody in office that is making sure that those protections are done.”

The two also clashed over Riverhead’s Industrial Development Agency. Mr. Hubbard defended the IDA’s record, noting that 21 properties receiving benefits now generate $2.2 million in taxes, up from $720,000, while creating 1,362 jobs compared to just 39 before 2023.

Mr. Hubbard called the battle between development and preservation a “double-edged sword.” He suggested agritourism projects could be a solution to maintaining this balance, with 70% of land  preserved and 30% developed.

“Every piece of land that you preserve, you’ve lost that tax base. We have preserved over 17,000 acres in the Town of Riverhead, between open space and farmland preservation.” Mr. Hubbard said. “You have to have development, but you have to preserve land.”

Mr. Halpin called for stricter IDA oversight to ensure benefits target truly blighted areas instead of “continual renewals that are hurting our schools.”

Council races

The undercard battle featured incumbent councilmen Bob Kern and Ken Rothwell taking on Dems Mark Woolley, who is also Mr. Hubbard’s brother-in-law, and former FDNY firefighter Kevin Shea.

Mr. Woolley threw the first punch, referencing his opponents’ previous forum absences.

“I’m glad that the gentlemen to the left and to the right of me are here today, their political bosses allowed them to be here today,” he said.

Mr. Kern and Mr. Rothwell defended their economic development record, highlighting the town’s Emerging Technology Committee partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University.

Mr. Rothwell said the town has preserved over 400 acres through its Transfer of Development Rights program, which allows developers to buy rights from farmers.

“If no one buys the TDRs, that becomes problematic,” he said. “That’s where we need smart development in areas like EPCAL.”

Both Republicans defended the controversial Town Square project, emphasizing flood mitigation benefits and arguing that Riverhead needs the planned hotel as tourism grows.

Mr. Woolley also blamed rising taxes and fees for motivating his campaign, calling the TDR program “basically broken” and opposing agritourism developments that pressure farmers.

Mr. Shea, who works with Cornell Cooperative Extension, backed preserving farmland while questioning high-rise buildings in the Town Square plan.

“We’ve been farmland for a long time — when we do revitalization, we can’t forget that rural character,” Mr. Shea said.

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Mr. Halpin is an independent candidate running on the Democratic line. He is lead minister at North Shore Christian Church in Riverhead. He said he has worked in nonprofit leadership as a pastor for more than 30 years.

The town’s 7.89% tax hike — its largest increase since the state cap was enacted in 2012 — particularly concerned Mr. Halpin because of its impact on fixed-income residents.

“As a leader, you have to be the face helping people understand decisions,” he said. “It doesn’t just affect those that can afford it, but those people on fixed incomes who are trying their best and don’t have the money. You have to think about those people.”

Mr. Halpin said his three decades of nonprofit leadership have prepared him for municipal government. At North Shore Christian Church, he manages budgets, organizes community outreach, mobilizes volunteers and works with stakeholders to solve problems.

He emphasized his experience with fund management and following strict financial rules.

“You’re not supposed to take from Fund A to pay for Fund B. That is something that is big to me,” he said.

Mr. Halpin said his approach to leadership centers on listening to constituents. He plans to work across party lines — an approach he brings from his pastoral work.

“Everybody has two ears and one mouth, and I know for a fact that as just one person, I don’t have all the answers,” he said. “People in our town have the answers. We need to be listening, cooperating and bringing those ideas together.”

If elected, Mr. Halpin said he would focus on strengthening infrastructure and improving coordination among town departments and emergency services.

“We need to make sure our infrastructure supports our police, fire departments, volunteer ambulance corps and schools,” he said. “And we have to make sure code enforcement has the resources it needs.”

He also emphasized balancing preservation and development. He aims to support existing businesses and review Industrial Development Agency benefits.

“We have to make sure we protect the land we have,” he said. “We have the greatest resource — land — at a scarcity and demand found in very few places in the world.”

Mr. Halpin also said he wants to create a network connecting social service providers on the East End, particularly to help immigrants seeking legal status.

“I want to help every person that’s here,” he said. “If they need help to get legal status and they’re willing to do that, and there’s an avenue with our government, I want to do that.”

Mr. Halpin said he chose to run for supervisor rather than Town Board because he believes he can make the most impact from that position.

“I know I can make the most change from that lead seat,” he said. “If that’s where the most decision-making and most difference can be made, that’s where I need to be.”

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Supervisor Tim Hubbard runs on public safety, downtown revival in reelection bid

Halpin promises open ears and community collaboration in supervisor office

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With his two-year term expiring, Supervisor Tim Hubbard is running for reelection. Council members Kenneth Rothwell and Robert Kern are also running again for four-year terms. All three incumbents were nominated at the Riverhead Republican Committee’s convention on Feb. 5. 

Mr. Kern said in a phone interview that he has dedicated himself to working for Riverhead Town and pointed to remaining work in as his reason for seeking reelection.

“I just want to keep the momentum going because I think we’re doing a lot of great things in Riverhead,” said Mr. Rothwell, who pointed to several accomplishments during his term, including getting clean drinking water to Manorville, securing grants for Downtown Riverhead revitalization and enhancing the police force.

Mr. Hubbard did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

Mr. Halpin is lead minister at North Shore Christian Church in Riverhead and has worked professionally in nonprofit leadership as a pastor for over 30 years, which he said has demanded “personal and fiscal accountability, and transparency.” Since launching North Shore Christian Church, he said he has gained experience running programs, organizing community outreach, mobilizing volunteers, calculating budgets, strategizing and formulating solutions with church stakeholders in mind. 

“In my experience as a minister, I’ve learned to listen and to know that I don’t have all the answers, but as a community, as you weed through those answers, they’re here, people have them,” Mr. Halpin said. “There’s a lot more strength in community than there is in an individual.”

The current town administration’s decision to pierce the statewide tax cap with a 7.89% hike — the town’s largest increase since the cap was enacted in 2012 — is what motivated Mr. Halpin to run for supervisor, he said.

He claimed in an emailed statement that there is a “clear shuffling” of residents’ tax dollars that are intended to pay for infrastructure and preservation, but have been used for “pet projects of the current administration.” Additionally, he said, even though he is running on the Democratic line, Mr. Halpin deems himself more of an independent. 

“They’re taxing people out of their houses … off the island; there are so many things that our town loses,” Mr. Halpin said. “It’s not personal — people have asked me continually why the Democratic Party specifically, and [it’s because] they were open … they’re willing. For 30 years, I’ve been communicating with people to make a difference in their community, and I think now’s my time.”

Mr. Shea, of Baiting Hollow, is a retired New York City firefighter and 9/11 first responder, as well as the creator of the world’s largest geodesic dome home, where he resides. He is the founder of O Corporation International, the nonprofit OneMust (also known as E.A.R.T.H.) and Long Island Dome Gardens. He is also involved in the Cornell Master Gardeners, the Suffolk Alliance of Pollinators, ReWild and WildOnes and has participated in community theater.

As a 20-year resident, he said he has developed a strong understanding of local needs and priorities. His experiences as a first responder and leader in farm, garden and forest management, he explained, have equipped him with strong leadership, problem-solving and communication skills.

The politics newcomer said maintaining Riverhead’s rural character, enhancing public safety and mitigating community economic and housing issues would be his main priorities if elected to the Town Board. He said he hopes his campaign encourages higher voter turnout and inspires others — especially younger and disenfranchised voters — to be more civically involved. 

Mr. Shea said he remains a champion for the environment and would push for more renewable energy projects, green infrastructure and flood resilience measures to prepare Riverhead Town for potential environmental threats in the future.

“Climate change is a catastrophic risk. It calls on our courage to be resilient as a local community,” he said in an emailed statement. “I advocate building beach, port, highway and agriculture infrastructure to adapt to and mitigate climate change.”

Mr. Woolley recently retired from 30 years of public service working with six different members of Congress, including Congressman Tom Suozzi and former representatives Lee Zeldin and George Santos. Through his experiences at the state and federal level, he aims to bring a “more sensible approach to public service,” he wrote.

He also has experience working with farmers and the Long Island Farm Bureau and, if elected to the Town Board, would like to continue to help sustain Riverhead’s agriculture, as well as protect its bluffs, beaches and groundwater. Mr. Woolley is also Mr. Hubbard’s brother-in-law, but said in a phone interview that he is solely running for a seat on the Town Board, not against Mr. Hubbard himself. 

“I run because our town is threatened by overdevelopment, poor planning and a zeal to grab onto whatever is presented without research, without considerable discussion [and] without public input that is not first ridiculed, chastised, bullied and quashed,” Mr. Woolley said in a written statement. “I do not to run to oppose any one man, but instead to oppose the policies and the procedures under which they are carried out by the current Town Board … it has become obvious over recent years that the future of our town is at risk.”

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