83-year-old woman learns she was a candidate for local election race
In this DML Report…
In the Huntington town supervisor election on Long Island, 83-year-old Maria Delgado appeared on the Working Families Party ballot line, receiving votes that contributed to Republican incumbent Ed Smyth's narrow victory over Democrat Cooper Macco. Delgado, a registered Democrat who has been affiliated with the Working Families Party and has voted in New York elections since 1984, including in the recent primary and general election, secured the party's nomination in a primary where she defeated Macco 109-26. State Board of Elections records show a 4% increase in Suffolk County Working Families Party registrations since last year, with 167 new voters added. Delgado stated to reporters that she was unaware of her candidacy and described herself as "flabbergasted" upon learning her name was on the ballot; she has since declined further comment.
A new development emerged when an unidentified man at Delgado's home indicated she was aware of her run, stating, "She ran, she lost, and I’m proud of her," and adding, "We’re proud of her. No comment." New York Working Families Party spokesman Aaron Shapiro remarked that if Delgado knew she was running, her claim otherwise could indicate fraud, saying, "Either she knew she was running or she lied and there’s fraud." Huntington GOP Chairman Thomas McNally called Delgado's unaware claim "not credible" and attributed the outcome to Working Families Party members choosing their own candidates, dismissing Democratic complaints as "post-election spin and sour grapes."
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Suffolk Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer labeled Delgado a "shill candidate" planted by Republicans to siphon votes from Macco, noting similar tactics in past Huntington cycles. Democrats allege her presence on the ballot split the liberal vote, handing the race to Smyth. Efforts to contact the witness who signed Delgado's petition have not yielded immediate responses.