Republicans can choose Congressional candidate

Thanks to redistricting, it has been an unusually difficult primary season, resulting in two separate primary dates and changes that have affected candidates across the board.

Islanders who are registered Republicans have a choice to make from among three candidates for Congress in the First District seeking to take on Democrat Bridget Fleming in November. She originally had competition for the party nomination but redistricting left her as the sole candidate for the Democrats.

Michelle Bond, Anthony Figliola and Nicholas LaLota seek to be that candidate.

It’s a seat currently held by Lee Zeldin who opted to run for governor. He will face incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul in November.

Ms. Bond of Port Jefferson is chief executive of the Association for Digital Asset Markets and previously was an attorney with Hogan Lovells and WilmerHaleand and an attorney for Republican Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama. She has been an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump.

Mr. Figliola of East Setauket is executive vice president of Empire Government Strategies, a government relations and economic development business  and earlier served as deputy supervisor in Brookhaven. 

Mr. LaLota of Amityville is chief of staff for Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Kevin McCarrick (R-Lindenhurst) and was previously a Suffolk County Board of Elections commissioner and a former trustee in the Village of Amityville. .

Early voting hours at the Shelter Island Community Center are underway. The hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Wednesday; noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

If you wish to wait until the official primary day, that’s next week on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

If you applied for an absentee ballot for the primary, you can’t cast a ballot in person either during the early voting period or on primary day.