Shelter Island Dems announce slate: Siller, Martin, Surerus, Sherman and Castoldi
By -March 2, 2021
Just hours after Town Councilman Albert Dickson, a Democrat, said he would not seek re-election, the Shelter Island Democrats announced the slate of candidates they’ll support for Town office in November.
Local party chair Heather Reylek announced that incumbent Gerry Siller will run again for Town Supervisor; political newcomer Brett Surerus, co-founder of the Shelter Island Action Alliance and part of the team behind the annual fireworks, will run for Town Council; and Kristina Martin, who serves as clerk for numerous committees, will run for Town Clerk, a position held by Dottie Ogar for 40+ years. Incumbents Brian Sherman will seek re-election for Highway Superintendent, and Patricia Castoldi for Assessor.
“The Democrats support candidates based on experience, their dedication to public service on Shelter Island, and the abilities and skills they will bring to their positions,” Reylek said in a news release. “We’re excited for you to get to know our candidates in the months to come.”
Meet the Democratic candidates
The following profiles are excerpted from the statement:
“Incumbent Supervisor Gerry Siller, has proven to be an exceptional Town leader, particularly in this trying year brought upon by the outbreak of COVID-19. Proactive and prudent in his approach, Gerry led the town through historic uncertainty while at the same time making progress on the priorities that he pledged to focus on stabilizing our Town’s water supply, making strides towards new affordable housing, and strategically improving our Town infrastructure, among others.“
“Brett Surerus is a strong, independent voice for the future of our Island and has demonstrated an incredible energy and enthusiasm for making our Town a better place, notably through his widely successful efforts to save our fireworks, and support our local businesses and Islanders in need through the Shelter Island Action Alliance. We are so thrilled that Brett will be running as a Democrat for Town Council.“
“Kristina Martin is running as a Democrat for Town Clerk and, with her rich understanding of how Town government functions and proven organizational experience, is ready to bring a fresh, tech forward approach to everything the Clerk’s office does. The Town Clerk’s office sits at the center of our Town government’s operations, and is the key touchpoint- from parking stickers to marriage licenses to maintenance of critical records- for how our residents interact with the Town. We’re excited to have her join our mission of moving our Town forward.“
“Rounding out our slate, with strong ties to Shelter Island and many years of service in the Highway Department, Brian Sherman has been selected as candidate for a second term as Superintendent of Highways. We are also pleased to cross-endorse incumbent Patricia Castoldi for Assessor.“
To learn more, you can follow Shelter Island Democrats on Instagram (@shelterislanddems) and Facebook (facebook.com/shelterislanddems).
No word yet from the Island Republicans.