Finalizing the for Islip Town Supervisor will not happen until at least the early part of next week, Patch has learned.
Anita Katz, commissioner with the Suffolk County Board of Elections, said the counting of approximately 1,700 absentee ballots in the race between incumbent Democrat Phil Nolan and Republican challenger Tom Croci has not started.
Katz said the counting of absentee ballots in closely contested County Legislature and Town races across Suffolk were scheduled ahead of the Islip Supervisor’s race.
Following Election Day last Tuesday, Croci, with 24,056 votes, held a slim 419-vote lead over Nolan.
Newsday recently reported that registered Republicans or Conservatives filed a majority of the yet-to-be-counted absentee ballots.
In the general election on Nov. 8, it was Conservatives that pushed Croci in front, accounting for 12.1 percent of his vote total. When looking at the Democratic and Republican lines head-to-head, Nolan led 45.6 percent to 35.7 percent. Croci also garnered 2.6 percent on the Independence Party line with Nolan receiving 4 percent on the Working Families Party line.
Should Croci hold his lead, his victory would give Republicans in Islip an Election Night sweep. John Cochrane and Anthony Senft the two contested Town Council seats, while Olga Murray and Alexis Weik were elected Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes respectively.
Regardless of the outcome in the Nolan/Croci race, Republicans will hold a majority on the Town Council for the first time in four years.
Vote Total Percentage Tom Croci 24,056 50.4% Republican 17,034 35.7% Conservative 5,784 12.1% Independence 1,238 2.6% *Phil Nolan 23,637 49.6% Democrat 21,741 45.6% Working Families Party 1,896 4.0%