Local candidates for general election; vote on Tuesday, November 8

Election day is Tuesday, November 8, with early voting beginning on October 29. Below is a list of the local candidates that will be on the ballot when Northport-East Northport residents vote, and a brief description of their backgrounds. Each candidate’s campaign website is provided so residents can do the research on the issues and policies that matter to them most.

In addition to the local races listed here, the 2022 general election will also include the races for Governor between Kathy Hochul (Democratic/Working Families Party) and Lee Zeldin (Republican/Conservative Party), and Lieutenant Governor between Antonio Delgado (Democratic/Working Families Party) and Alison Esposito (Republican/Conservative Party).

To check your registration status or find additional voter information (such as where to vote or how to apply for an absentee ballot), click here.

U.S. Congress, District 1

Bridget Fleming (Democratic/Working Families Party)
Bridget Fleming is a former prosecutor and Southampton Town Councilwoman who is currently serving as County Legislator. She is a graduate of Hunter College’s Special Honor Curriculum and received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to serving on the Southampton Town Board, Fleming worked for almost a decade as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. She was a member of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit, which sought justice for victims of sexual assault; she also served as chief of a unit devoted to attacking fraud in public programs. Fleming later became a managing attorney for pro bono programs at the New York City Bar Association, where she led programs focused on homelessness, refugees, cancer, and elder law.
Find more information on Bridget Fleming here.

Nicholas LaLota (Republican/Conservative Party)
Nicholas (or Nick) LaLota served in the U.S. Navy from 1996-2007 and earned a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 2000. After his Naval career, LaLota earned his master’s degree and Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University. In 2013, he was appointed to the Amityville Board of Trustees and was reelected in 2015. LaLota also served as the Republican commissioner for the Suffolk County Board of Elections and is currently the Chief of Staff to the Suffolk County Legislature.
Find more information on Nicholas LaLota here.

NYS Senate, 2nd SD
Includes the towns of Huntington and Smithtown

Susan Berland (Democratic/Working Families Party)
Susan Berland formerly served as a Suffolk County Legislator until January 2022. She is a graduate of SUNY Albany, where she worked as a New York State Senate aide. She later graduated from Hofstra University School of Law, where she currently works as an adjunct law professor. A Dix Hills resident, Berland previously served as a member of the Huntington Town Board from 2001 to 2017. Prior to this work, Berland was a New York State Assistant Attorney General in the Prisoners Litigation Division and Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Huntington.
Find more information on Susan Berland here.

Mario Mattera (Republican/Conservative/Independence Party)
Mario Mattera currently serves as the New York State Senator for the 2nd district and is seeking reelection. He is a St. James resident who has been a union leader in the Plumbers Local Union #200 for 40 years. Prior to being elected in 2020, Mattera served on the Smithtown Advisory Board for new construction projects and Suffolk County Water Authority Board.
Find more information on Mario Mattera here.

NYS Assembly, District 12
Includes Northport, East Northport, Eatons Neck, parts of Fort Salonga

Keith Brown (Republican Party)
Keith Brown was elected to the NYS Assembly in 2020 and is seeking reelection. A Northport resident and graduate of SUNY Albany, Brown interned during his final semester for former New York State Senator Norman J. Levy. He graduated from Touro College Law Center in 1990 and, before starting his own law firm that represents corporate clients in real estate related matters, was appointed to the New York State Office of the Attorney General, where he served as Assistant Attorney General in the Litigation Bureau defending New York in federal and state courts.
Find more information on Keith Brown here.

Cooper Macco (Democratic Party)
Cooper Macco is a Halesite native (and current resident) who has lived in Lloyd Harbor and Centerport. He attended Long Island University CW Post Campus, getting a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in 2008; Macco then attended St. John’s University School of Law, graduating in 2012, and was admitted to the New York State Bar in February 2013. Upon graduation, Macco joined a bankruptcy law firm in Jericho, New York, where he focused on representing bankruptcy trustees, creditors, and corporate debtors. In 2014, he joined his family practice, transitioning his focus to consumer representation in bankruptcy and foreclosure actions.
Find more information on Cooper Macco here.