The race between Democrats Dave Calone and Anna Throne-Holst for the right to take on Republican Lee Zeldin in the November election has ended in a virtual dead heat.
Unofficial results reported by the Suffolk County Board of Elections tonight show a quarter-point spread between Calone and Throne-Holst in today’s Democratic primary balloting, making the contest too close to call.
Throne-Holst had 5,446 votes to Calone’s 5,417 with all 473 election districts reporting, according to the unofficial results posted on the Board of Elections website.
However, 1,665 absentee ballots were mailed out to First Congressional District Democratic voters, according to the Board of Elections. How many of those will be returned is still unknown. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by tonight to count in the tally. However, they won’t likely be counted for at least a week to 10 days, when a re-canvass of the scanned ballots is undertaken.
“We are waiting for all votes to be counted, but are proud to have a lead at the end of election night,” Throne-Holst said in an emailed statement. “We are confident going forward that victory will be ours now… and in November.”
Calone did not respond to a request for comment.
Calone, 42, of Setauket, is a venture capitalist focused on technology start-ups, former prosecutor and former chairman of the Suffolk County Planning Commission and a former trustee of the Long Island Power Authority. A lifelong Long Islander who grew up in Mount Sinai, the son of an engineer and a school teacher, Calone is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard law school. He is married and the father of three young children.
Throne-Holst, 56, of Noyac, decided not to seek re-election to a fourth and final term as Southampton town supervisor to make the run for Congress. She worked in early childhood education before first running for elective office in 2007, when she was elected Southampton town councilwoman. She is a co-founder of the Hayground School and former executive director of the Bridgehampton Child Care Center. A graduate of American University and Columbia University with degrees in administration and international affairs, she previously worked at the United Nations. She is divorced and the mother of four adult children.
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The winner of the primary contest will face first-term Republican incumbent Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) in November.
