Cuthbertson has eye on county seat
By Harry To
Town of Huntington Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D) is not seeking reelection and is instead vying for the Suffolk County Legislature seat in the 18th District.
The seat is currently held by William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport), who was arrested last October in a sex-for-drugs sting. Police said he allegedly planned to meet a prostitute in the parking lot of a Goodwill store in Elwood to trade sex for pills, reportedly oxycodone. Spencer has decided against running for reelection.
Cuthbertson has served for over two decades on the Huntington Town Board. Now, he hopes to translate his experience in local politics to the county level.
“Experience with budgeting and finance, open space and environmental protection, economic
development, employee relations and collective bargaining, and public safety are among the
areas that would allow me to hit the ground running as a county legislator,” he said in a phone interview Friday. “There are various facets of my private sector experience in commercial real estate, civil rights litigation and land use that also round out my experience and will allow me to better serve the people as a county legislator.”
According to a press release, Cuthbertson’s accomplishments as a legislator include sponsorship of two open space contracts that resulted in the preservation of hundreds of acres of environmentally sensitive lands, strengthening local laws to increase affordable housing for
working families and helping raise the town bond rating to AAA, the highest rating.
Cuthbertson is a lifelong resident of Huntington, graduating from Walt Whitman High School. Later he attended Villanova University and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and then his juris doctor degree from Albany Law School, where he was a member of the Albany Law Review publication.
He is also a graduate of the Energeia Partnership at Molloy College, a leadership institute
dedicated to addressing complex and challenging issues on Long Island.
Rich Schaffer, chairman of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, spoke about
Cuthbertson’s local popularity.
“Councilman Mark Cuthbertson has been consistently reelected to the Huntington Town Council
because of his record delivering for the families of Huntington,” Schaffer said.“We’re excited to work with Mark to keep our Democratic majority in the Legislature so he can continue working to improve the lives of Suffolk County families.”
To oppose Cuthbertson, the Suffolk County Republican Party has put forth Stephanie Bontempi,
a fifth-grade teacher at The Green Vale School in Old Brookville and chairperson of the Town of Huntington’s Beautification Advisory Council.
