October surprise: Dems rocked by attacks on their candidate by one of their own on eve of the election

This story has been updated to correct errors in the original post.

In an extraordinary email letter to some members of the Shelter Island Democratic Party faithful and others, the treasurer for the party’s candidate for supervisor verbally attacked the party’s candidate for Town Board and called for voters to reject her at the polls.

When the letter by Cathy Kenny, treasurer for Gordon Gooding’s campaign for supervisor, went public, the Democratic candidate responded by disavowing Ms. Kenny’s suggestions and calling for her resignation as treasurer.

She sent an email apologizing in almost abject terms for her original views.

In the document emailed on Thursday, Oct. 23, two days before early voting, Ms. Kenny praised Mr. Gooding, noting that “I know both Gordon and his wife Kathy for some 10 years or more now. I don’t know of a couple with more integrity, conscientiousness, generosity, and intelligence … They never do anything halfway. That’s my paean to the Goodings. But this email is about the race for Town Board.”

Ms. Kenny then accused Elizabeth Hanley, candidate for the Board on the Democratic line, of trying to “undermine Gordon from the start.” She continued with serious allegations, which she later apologized for “as personal attacks against Liz Hanley [that] contained statements that were misstated and exaggerated. The letter was sent without the knowledge or approval of Gordon Gooding, or any members of our team, and my actions were entirely inappropriate.”

In her original letter, after the attacks on Ms. Hanley’s honesty and integrity, referring to her at one point as “sinister,” Ms. Kenny asked people to reject Ms. Hanley at the polls and instead vote for Greg Toner, a Democrat still on the ballot. Mr. Toner had notified the public that due to serious health concerns he will not take a seat on the Board if elected. “I’m asking you to vote for Greg Toner for Town Board,” Ms. Kenny wrote. “If elected, and he chooses to step down, then another person can be appointed.” 

This, presumably, would give Mr. Gooding a choice of who will take a seat on the Board. In a statement, Mr. Gooding said: “I ask that we respect wishes of Greg Toner to not vote for him.I can’t control what others choose to post or how they choose to spin events, but I can control how I conduct myself — with honesty, accountability, and respect for our community.” 

The Reporter contacted Mr. Gooding early Friday morning and he seemed upset that Ms. Kenny’s message of accusations and strategy had been made public. On Thursday, at 11:40 p.m., he had sent an email asking for Ms. Kenny’s resignation as treasurer. 

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I had no input in that letter and did not authorize its distribution,” Mr. Gooding wrote. “The views expressed in it are not mine, nor do they reflect the tone, values, or principles of my campaign. I have asked the individual responsible, Cathy Kenny, for her resignation immediately, and she will no longer be involved with my campaign in any capacity. I have great respect for Liz Hanley and support her candidacy. She is dedicated, capable, and committed to serving our community with integrity. Although we may not always agree on every issue, I know that her intentions and efforts are centered on improving our town and the lives of those who call it home.”

Ms. Kenny, in her public apology, wrote that her “attacks” against Ms. Hanley “were misstated and exaggerated. The letter was sent without the knowledge or approval of Gordon Gooding, or any members of our team, and my actions were entirely inappropriate …  [I] deeply regret any harm, confusion, or offense caused to Liz, the community, and Gordon Gooding’s campaign … I have stepped away from Gordon’s campaign and will ensure that my future actions reflect integrity and respect.”

Asked by the Reporter for a response, Ms. Hanley said Mr. Gooding had phoned to apologize. 

“Working in housing has given me a thick skin when it comes to attacks like this, or maybe it’s having three children,” she said. “The substance of the letter was, as she put it, misstated and exaggerated, and anyone with a passing knowledge of me and my work for this community can clearly see that.”

She added, “I can’t speak to Cathy’s motives, but suggesting that voters cast their ballot for Greg, who has publicly withdrawn from the race for health reasons, is irresponsible. In this age of hyper-partisan politics, I think many have lost the plot.” She noted that people who are in an elected body together and who have different points of view “can only make policy better.”

The Shelter Island Republican Committee pounced on their opponent’s troubles. In a statement, the Republicans noted that Ms. Kenny’s original letter’s “proposed plan to organize a vote for former Democrat candidate Greg Toner … in an effort to get him elected so that they could appoint a replacement, is monstrous and disgusting on a human level, and completely unethical on a political level … Does anybody else find it hard to believe Mr. Gooding didn’t know about the letter? … How could Gordon or his supporters be upset by this?  Perhaps they are upset because their plan leaked out and the reaction from the vast majority of Islanders has been abject horror.”

When the Reporter contacted Mr. Gooding early Friday morning, the candidate said, “A human mistake should not be broadcast to the public.”