Previously Published in The Messenger
By Matt Meduri
On the November 2025 ballot, all eighteen districts of the Suffolk County Legislature are up for grabs. Legislators are limited to six (6) two-year terms. Two open seats are on the docket, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth districts, represented by Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), respectively.
The other sixteen incumbents are running for re-election, with four freshmen hoping for another two years in Hauppauge. One of those incumbents is Legislator Samuel Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), who has represented the Ninth District (LD-09) since 2019. LD-09 includes parts of the communities of Bay Shore, Brentwood, Central Islip, Hauppauge, and Islip hamlet.
While solidly blue for many years, the seat has been filled by some of Suffolk’s most well-known Democrats, such as former County Legislator Rick Montano (D-Brentwood) and now-Senator Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood). However, the district shifted largely to the right in 2023, with Gonzalez winning a whopping 71%-29% in 2021, down to just a 55%-45% win in 2023 against Dr. Theresa Bryant (R-Central Islip).
The specific parts of Brentwood and Central Islip within the district are also some of the areas that have not only shifted massively to the right since 2020, but many precincts have done so by double-digit shifts towards the Party of Lincoln, even in the last two presidential contests. Even in 2020, when Joe Biden (D-DE) swung almost all of Suffolk’s precincts leftward, this part of Islip was ruby-red in terms of the rightward shifts.
That’s why the 2025 election in this district could perhaps be one of the most significant barometers of local political moods, up- and down-ballot synergy, and possibly even a commentary on the shifts of predominantly Latino communities towards the Republican Party in the Trump Era.
On Tuesday night at the Blue Point Brewery in Bay Shore, Guy Leggio (R-Bay Shore) kicked off his campaign for Legislature.
Leggio (pronounced LEG-EE-OH) is a seasoned bricklayer of forty-years, a forty-eight year member of the Bay Shore Fire Department, an eighteen-year trustee for the Bay Shore School District, five of which he served as the board’s president, and has spent “countless years”, in the words of Islip Tax Receiver Andy Wittman (R-Sayville), “building the wrestling program at East Islip”, adding that Leggio’s contributions there have impacted wrestling throughout New York State.
Leggio’s credentials continue, with his service as a U.S. Navy Petty Officer, Second Class. He’s also a family man to his wife of thirty-four years, Maryann, and his three children, James, Christopher, and Megan. Leggio was also inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
“I’ve always believed that a person who runs for elected office should demonstrate a track record of prior community service,” said Wittman. “Show us that you care about the community and then, maybe then, you’ll earn our vote. And if you believe that like I do, I don’t think there’s any one person in this room that can deny that Guy Leggio has an outstanding track record of service to the community.”
Suffolk County Republican Committee Chairman Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) reflected on his many campaign events, fundraisers, and venues he’s attended over the years, adding that the number of new people in the room speaks volumes of a campaign, particularly Leggio’s.
“When you walk into a room where you don’t recognize 80% of the people there, that’s grassroots,” said Garcia. “That’s a testament to Guy Leggio’s impact that he has in the community.”
Indeed, Leggio’s community accolades precede him. In 2016, East Islip High School, where he coached wrestling for twenty-six years, named their wrestling room after him. In 2022, Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) recognized him for his advocacy in developing the Bay Shore Pre-K Center.
Garcia praised Leggio for his tenure on the Bay Shore School District Board, during which Leggio has helped build a wrestling facility by coordinating with different buildings, unions, and community organizations to gain their input and involvement, at no cost to the taxpayer.
“You come with a legacy of building, building in a way of infrastructure and facilities that we need for our communities and education,” said Garcia to Leggio.
Leggio is staking his campaign on public safety, namely in terms of supporting law enforcement and first responders, cracking down on repeat offenders by lobbying Albany to change its Bail Reform laws, investing in mental health and addiction services, school safety and youth programs, and combating gang activity and human trafficking. Student and school security, according to Leggio, would consist of expanding after-school and mentorship programs to “keep kids engaged and off the streets.”
In terms of making Suffolk more affordable, Leggio is committed to keeping property taxes in check while focusing on smarter budgeting and spending transparency. Additionally, he intends to work to cut waste, not services, by working to audit departments and programs to eliminate redundancies, inefficiencies, and fraud. Leggio is also building his campaign on reducing red tape and permit delays, tax relief and grants for small businesses, expanding workforce housing and first-time homebuyer support, and lowering energy costs through smart infrastructure.
“Every family deserves to feel secure — in their homes, their schools, and their neighborhoods. That means standing with law enforcement, making sure they have the tools and resources they need to keep us safe,” Leggio told a packed room, with campaign posters bearing the clever wordplay, “The Right Guy.”
“But it also means investing in mental health services, addiction treatment, and programs that keep young people on the right path — not just locking problems away, but addressing them head-on,” said Leggio. “Suffolk County should be a place where our kids want to stay, not one they’re forced to leave,” he said.
Leggio’s support from officials at his campaign kickoff was not relegated to just Wittman and Garcia, but Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip), Islip Town Councilmen Mike McElwee (R-West Islip) and John Lorenzo (C-West Sayville), and Suffolk County Legislators Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) and Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters).
Perhaps most importantly, Leggio’s family and long list of friends and community members were in attendance to support him as well.
Leggio is running on the Republican and Conservative lines for the Ninth Legislative District. Election Day is November 4, 2025.