Politics & Government

Schneiderman On Leaving County Seat: 'I Need More Time'

Jay Schneiderman has received a nod to run for East Hampton Supervisor, but isn't sure if he wants the gig.

Jay Schneiderman isn't saying yes to a run for East Hampton Town Supervisor — yet, which would leave the Second Legislative District race wide open.

"I'm still looking at all my options," Schneiderman said on Wednesday, despite a vote in his favor from the East Hampton Republican Committee.

A member of the Independence party, Schneiderman, a Montauk resident whose district encompasses Southampton and East Hampton, is up for re-election this year and can only run for the position once more before he reaches the term limit.

Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Bayswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The decision to run for supervisor or not is a major career decision, he said.

"I'm leaning toward running for supervisor, but I have to consider my family and other factors," he said.

Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Bayswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Schneiderman's screening with the East Hampton Democrats is scheduled for a week from Sunday, but the screening committee said they won't make any decisions until May. Schneiderman said he wants to wait, at least, until after he screens.

Schneiderman, who served as the East Hampton Town Supervisor when he was a registered Republican, said he also only wanted to run if there was an open seat, referring to incumbent Republican Supervisor Bill Wilkinson.

Wilkinson did not screen with the Republicans because he said he wanted to wait until March or April to make a decision. Last week, after the Republicans revealed they were going to endorse Schneiderman, Wilkinson confirmed he wasn't going to make another bid for supervisor, though he was disappointed in the Republican party for not waiting until he had made up his mind.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone every day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here