The New York State Attorney General's office has issued subpoenas to the town of Huntington on Long Island, requesting records related to its 2025 elections. The action stems from an investigation into the town's November 2023 supervisor race, which saw an 83-year-old resident, Maria Delgado, appear on the ballot and receive over 1,100 votes.
Christine Geed, a spokesperson for the town, confirmed that the Attorney General's office served the subpoenas and stated that the town is fully cooperating. The investigation was initiated approximately eight months ago, following the close election results in which Republican incumbent Ed Smyth narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Cooper Macco by 418 votes.
Democrats had raised accusations that Delgado, running on the Working Families Party line, was intentionally placed on the ballot by Republicans to draw votes away from Macco. Delgado herself initially claimed she was unaware she was a candidate, stating she was "flabbergasted" to discover her name on the ballot and questioning if it was a joke. Her vote total was enough to contribute to the incumbent's victory.
However, conflicting accounts emerged. An acquaintance later told media outlets that Delgado "ran" in the election. Shortly after her initial statements, a man at Delgado's residence suggested that she was aware of her candidacy and that her family was proud of her campaign. Public records also indicated that a town employee listed as a witness on Delgado's party petition did not reside at his listed address, and the current residents stated they never signed the petition.
Leaders of the Working Families Party claimed that Delgado had taken over their ballot line in a primary against the Democratic candidate, alleging that Republicans had switched their registrations to influence the outcome. Town Republicans, in turn, dismissed these accusations as "post-election spin and sour grapes."